Residents’
Review
February 2020
Volume 33, Issue 2
Citizens Memorial Healthcare Facility is an affiliate of CMH, Bolivar, Mo., 417-326-6000
Facility Location: 1218 West Locust St., Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-326-7648
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Resident of the Month 1
Activity Photos 2
Employee Spotlight 3
Announcements 4
Calendar of Events 5
Birthdays 6
New Residents 6
Discharges 6
Sympathy 6
Our Mission
Caring for every generation
through exceptional services by
leading physicians and a
compassionate healthcare team.
Our Vision
Be the first choice for customer
focused healthcare to every
generation.
Our Values
I am...
P ositive
R espectful
I nnovative
D edicated
E mpowered
Together, we are CMH PRIDE!
Willard & Dolores Swigert
Resident of the Month
Dolores Swigert was born May 25, 1933,
in Joplin, Missouri as an only child to Virgin-
ia Brown. Dolores attended school in Cedar
County, Missouri at Bethel and Wagoner
schools which were one room schoolhouses.
Her first husband, James Fleeman, passed
away in 1989. The couple had four children,
JR, Sharon, Gene and Kenneth.
Willard Swigert was born Aug. 2, 1933, to
Lonnie & Mary Swigert in Burns, Missouri
just east of Bolivar. Willard had two half-
brothers and one half-sister. His family lived on the east side of Bolivar. His father walked to
Halfway, Missouri and back every day for work on a farm making only $1 per day. Willard
also attended school in one room schoolhouses in Wilmington, Union Ridge and McKinney
schools in Polk County. Willard and his first wife, Floris who passed away in the early 1990s
had six children, Audrey, Willard, Lonnie, Raymond, Karen and Patricia who passed away a
few years ago.
Dolores was good friends with Willard’s aunt, Irene. They spent a lot of time with one an-
other and went out to eat often. After Willard’s first wife passed away, Irene told Dolores that
she was worried about him because he would never get out of the house and spent his time sit-
ting around doing nothing. Dolores suggested she invite him to go to the Senior Center to eat.
Willard agreed to go and this is when Dolores and Willard met.
Once Dolores looked into his eyes, which she thought were the prettiest eyes she had ever
seen, she said to herself, “He’s mine!” Their relationship developed when she and Irene taught
him how to play the card game pitch. The couple spent many days together improving their
game at the Bolivar Senior Center.
Dolores had also always loved to dance. She talked Willard into going to the DAV in Boli-
var one evening to a dance. They had a great time together and ended up meeting for breakfast
at Hardees the next morning. She recalled telling Willard, “If we are going to date, you are
going to have to learn how to dance.” Their good friend, Grace Anna Bean, and Dolores ended
up teaching him how to two step, waltz, polka and square dance. The couple share a love for
country music and began frequenting the dance halls so they could two step the night away
listening to the Al Crossland Band. Every Saturday night they danced at a Quonset hut at the
Pomme De Terre Dam, went to a place in Wheatland during the week and other places in
Springfield and Buffalo. They never missed a dance.
One of their most memorable trips was to Las Vegas. Willard had lived there for four years
with his first wife and Dolores had never been. He decided he should teach her how to gamble.
They walked into the casino. He showed her the slot machines and got her a seat and then he
headed off to the card tables. She said if she could have found him, she would have wrung his
neck for leaving her there. She said she sat there for what felt like hours waiting for him, but
she did get the hang of playing the slots. During that trip on May 9, 1997, the couple were mar-
ried. They were picked up in a limo from the El Cortez hotel, taken to the courthouse and then
to a small chapel on the corner by the courthouse to say their vows.
They became a part of our CMHCF family in September 2018. When asked what their fa-
vorite parts about living here were, they said, “the kind staff and other residents, the cleanli-
ness, and it is a nice place overall.” They love to play bingo, horse races and other games, visit
with the staff and residents and shop the Funny Money Store.
Congratulations Willard & Dolores on being chosen as CMHCF’s Residents of the Month!