I was born on a farm near Buffalo, Kansas on July 27, 1920. I am the youngest of four children: Lois, George, Delyte, and myself. Both my parents, Tilden Swinney, and Daisy (Stoll) Swinney, were born, and raised in southeastern Kansas.
I started School when I was five years old, and was put in the first grade. Delyte was in the second grade. I took 2nd and 3rd grades in the same year. Ours was a typical rural school with one large room, a coal burning stove, and two outhouses. Our school was one mile from home as you travel cross the farm fields. Otherwise, it was two miles by road. My folks got a Shetland pony for Delyte and me. Mother built a little shed with runners, and we pulled it to school, and left it there for Susie (our male horse) to stay in during school. For a while we both rode Susie to school. Then mother built a cart, which we hitched behind the horse.
I do not remember a time when we didn’t go to church. Dad was Sunday School superintendent. He was also active in Grange and Farm Bureau. Mother was active in Ladies’ Aid and Unit. Delyte and I were in 4-H club. We both won many ribbons.
As we were growing up, we learned to work on the farm. We raised lots of chickens, and sold eggs to a hatchery. We had sheep, and cattle. We usually milked five or six cows, and sold cream. We raised a big garden, and did lots of canning. In the winter, we butchered beef, or sheep, and canned meat. We never lacked plenty of food.
Lois was married to Clyde Mears when I was six or seven years old. Ivan George was born about a year later. When Ivan was about five years old, they moved to California. My brother George went with them.
Delyte and I graduated from the 8th grade when I was twelve years old. We went to Vilas, Kansas for high school, rooming with our cousins Artia and Amos Nelson the first year. Other years we drove, or rode with Winnie and Austin Sellers.
After high school graduation at age sixteen. I worked in different homes in Chanute, Kansas. When I was 18 I went to California, hoping to go to school for designing clothes. I did not get in, so I worked at various things. I finally got on at Sears in receiving.
I found a housekeeping room about two blocks from Lois’ and was on my own. During this time Mrs. Baker had a Bible study for young women, which I attended. I also attended the first Baptist Church in W. Los Angeles. Dick Cantrell was my Sunday School teacher. He was going to evening Bible school at Biola. I rode with him, and went too. The following year I decided to go to day school.
I really loved this opportunity to study the Word. Dr. Hubbard’s classes were especially rich. Wilma Lambert was one of my roommates. She was headed for Nigeria under SIM. This was a challenge to me.
She introduced me to Heber Richins. We were married on June 10, 1943. In February 1945, we went to Nigeria to work under SIM.
