Frances B Swift

Frances was born October 2, 1915 in Sherman, Texas. She made her trip home to the Lord Friday, December 12, 2014 in Pilot Point, Texas.

Frances is preceded in death by beloved husband William C. Swift; her parents Frank B. and Ruby Tanner; siblings James G. Tanner and wife Beulah, Eloise V. Stanton and husband J. H., Elizabeth C. Tanner,( two young siblings Grace and Robert died early in life, as an infant and 18 months respectively); sister-in-law Beverly Tanner; daughter Frances B. Cannon; grandson Eddy F. Edwards.

She is survived by son Robert J. Swift and wife Betty; daughter Margaret Rose Sypert and husband Clifton; brother Paul Tanner; sons-in-law Joe Cannon & C. B. Edwards; grandchildren William C. Jackson, Anna Marie Garza, Phil Sypert and wife Stacy, Angela M. Wanstock and fiancée Joe Denning; great grandchildren Natalie Sypert, Lawson Sypert, Caitlyn Denning, Alyssa Garza, Emily Denning; And many beloved nephews, nieces and extended family.

Born in an at-home birth in Sherman, Texas, Frances was the eldest of seven children born to Frank and Ruby Tanner. Her brothers and sisters called Frances the Angel of the family. As the eldest, she took on some parenting responsibilities at an early age when her mother became ill.

Growing up, Frances had a natural artistic talent that was evident from an early age. As she began attending school, her first grade teacher recognized her talent and was amazed as Frances made sketches of her classmates.

Portraitures were her passion. She eventually put this on the back burner to for steady work as an artist to help the family finances.

Frances graduated from Krozier Tech Technical High School in Dallas, Texas, class of 1937. She finished at an older age than was typical, as she had become ill and was unable to finish with her peers.

Marriage to Bill.

On December 19, 1937, she married her soul mate, William C. Swift. Bill persuaded her to stay in Dallas to marry him and start a family. She sacrificed her opportunities to study art in New York and in Europe, never looking back.

To talk about Frances or Bill without the other is difficult. They seemed to share one heart, one mind their life’s passions – family and serving in humility.

Together they had purchase some land in a heavily wooded area of Dallas, Oak Cliff, what is now 1226 Idaho, new the Dallas Zoo. Together they worked the land, cleared trees for the house to be built, and for roads to be built. While clearing the land, they had piled the trees to be used as fire wood. At one point, the piles of trees went missing, Bill’s comment to Frances was “Someone needed that wood more than us”. Typical selflessness these two seemed to always be able to model.

Eventually, the two moved into the home well before it was finished, as they had had enough of the complaints from less than hospitable neighbors in their apartment building. They received complaints over the noise of the radio, which the two played at a low level for some entertainment, but the likely culprit of the complaints causing the most trouble was their howling pup.

Moving into the house early presented some challenges, showering outdoors using water hoses, not to mention the lack of other plumbing amenities…

Margaret recalls Frances’ baptism. Margaret Rose, as Frances always called her, recalls that she was likely about 4 years old at the time. They’d all walk a few blocks to a little Baptist Church for services. At one particular service, Frances felt the call to get baptized. On the day of her baptism, for some odd reason, they all merrily walked to church, not realizing that she’d be dunked that very day, no extra clothes, soaking wet, chose to leave the service early that day, “squishing” all the way home.

She was a pioneer in many ways. She became involved in working with research into Dyslexia in an effort to help her son Robert in school. She poured herself into the effort, worked with doctors in ground breaking research and techniques for identifying and teaching people suffering from this previously hidden condition. Frances worked on Illustrating for presentations, research and publication to support the doctors research at the University of Plano. The doctors would have a need for illustrations, many times she’d turn them around overnight for their presentations and lectures – seems she was the front-runner of presentations, the Power Point without the aid of the yet to be invented digital media we have available today.

Commercial Art – first woman commercial artist in Dallas…

After working as contractor in many commercial art studios in Dallas, she started her own one-woman outfit, Frances B Swift Studios. She also had the help of husband Bill, her own personal one man engineering department.

As an artist, Frances was highly sought after for her designs, creativity, and her speed to delivery. Most times she was given cart blanch to deliver her designs and ideas.

He helped her with one of the first motorized, moving displays, complete with music, for a Woolworth’s Christmas display.

Frances also helped many artists and studios, freely sharing her expertise, tips, tricks and ingenuity, helping pave the way to many others success.

In 1963, when John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, she was greatly impacted. She promptly packed up her art supplies, and quickly set up at the scene on Elm Street, carefully sketching details of the scene, Bill in tow, taking photographs. Frances spent tireless hours completing a 4 by 8 foot painting of the scene. She also wrote a poem and sent it the Jackie Kennedy, receiving correspondence back.

She remained very close to her siblings. She and her sister Elizabeth were known in some circles as the Gold Dust Twins. On one occasion in particular, there was a disagreement of some sort… apparently… Now, mind you that these girls were in their late 80’s at the time. As the story goes, Elizabeth had locked Frances out of her house. Frances thinks to herself, “not a problem.” She proceeds to Elizabeth’s backyard fence, climbs up and over, and into the back yard. In the back yard, there seem to have been water hoses with sprayers attached. Elizabeth, Frances, hoses, sprayers, chaos, ruckus, and noise ensue. Neighbors investigate and plan on calling Margaret Rose to come help. As the neighbors peer into the back yard, they find the two girls soaked, sitting on the porch, laughing together uncontrollably

She and Bill were partners, soulmates, but at times, there would be those events where they may not see eye to eye. Their son Robert was very curious about how mechanical things worked. His solution was to find out by taking said mechanical thing apart and reassembling, mostly successful, not alweays quickly. When this began, Frances suggested to Bill that this needed attention, and may not be the best idea. Bill suggested back that Robert was learning and this was a good thing. When Robert dis-assembled Bill’s alarm clock, Bill began to agree with Frances.

Frances knew how to have fun. Her children and grandchildren tell stories of her teaching them how to catching craw dads. Being the pioneer, she’d have them catch them and then set the critters free. She was apparently an early advocate catch and release!

Frances stressed the use proper English, taught the importance of being well spoken, being well mannered, being a lady, a gentleman.

I am sure she’d have a correct or suggestion or two on the grammar and proper English of this very writing.

Frances helped neighbors, family, classmates of her children, school children at random, anywhere she saw a need, she and partner Bill were there… Providing food, clothes, shelter, sharing their home, finding rooms to rent for homeless families and paying the rent. Frances would also be an advocate for school children without support, helping communicate with the schools in efforts to help them overcome circumstance no fault of their own.

Frances lived her life with no thoughts of what’s in it for me, but rather an attitude of, ”I can help, I see a need, and what can I do?”

Frances was generous, kind, selfless, humble. She practiced day in, day out Christ-like love.