Christian News of South Texas

 

Sammie E. Swim Eulogy
July 23, 2008

Sammie E. Swim was born on December 21, 1925 in Crowell, Texas and was welcomed into the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on July 19, 2008. He was preceded in death by his parents Samuel A. and Bertha Swim. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Jo Ann; daughter Terri Swim; son Michael Swim and his wife Laura; grandchildren Christopher Paradowski, Matthew Paradowski, Randall Paradowski, Calen Swim and Samuel Swim. He is also survived by his brother Keith D. Swim and wife Vonna and numerous nieces and nephews.

The first and last thing we can say about Sammie is that he was a family man. He was a loving, attentive and supportive husband to Jo Ann. He was a welcoming, nurturing and accepting daddy to Terri and Mike. He was an indulgent, caring and adoring granddad to Chris, Matt, Randy, Calen and Sam. To Sammie’s way of thinking, it was the most natural thing in the world for his family to come first. And they always did.

But outside that family circle Sammie was best known as a churchman. He was a preacher in the Church of Christ for nearly sixty years. He was a Bible teacher at church as well as, for sixteen years, at the Bible Chair at San Antonio College. But he was more than a churchman—more than a preacher. All those qualities and qualifications that made him a good husband, dad, granddad, preacher and teacher uniquely equipped Sammie to be a true pastor. That’s not a word used much in our church tradition. But it’s a good word. I was so happy to see it in Sammie’s obituary. The word pastor perfectly describes Sammie, how he lived, how he cared for people and what his motives were.

Among Church of Christ preachers from the mid-twentieth century, Sammie was one of the ones who got it right. He suspended judgment and offered grace. He would forgo his rights and offer peace. He forget his own interests and offered comfort, strength and understanding. He lived by and gave away a lovely home-spun variety of wit and wisdom on the order of Ronald Reagan. Sammie was practical, real, helpful, genuine and unpretentious.

The longer Sammie lived the more he looked like, sounded like, thought like and lived like an Old Testament Prophet of God. He simply could not understand why or how anyone couldn’t or wouldn’t love God. The last few days I’ve been concurrently writing my remarks for this morning about Sammie and working on my lesson for Sunday about Abraham. I had Sammie on one side of my desk and Abraham on the other. It seemed like those two projects were so similar. What I would write about Abraham I could also say about Sammie. And what I was going to say about Sammie also fit Abraham.

In short, Sammie was a man, a pastor, of compassion. All his words and all his actions were seasoned with interest and concern for others. He helped. He assisted. He wept with the ones who wept and laughed with the ones who laughed. He prayed for everyone. He accepted everyone just as they were. He didn’t judge or condemn. He encouraged. He was a realist and a dreamer. He lived with what was and always wanted it to be better…including some of us.
I am happy I could call him my friend. I know you feel the same.

Two things I appreciated and will remember about Sammie were his keen sense of humor and his sense of responsibility. Those two characteristics seemed to go hand in hand for Sammie. I’ll never forget a few years ago when our new, very young preacher at the Highland Oaks Church in Dallas was scheduled to speak at the Pepperdine University Lectureship. I asked Sammie if he would do me a favor and go hear young Tim preach and then afterwards go speak to him. I asked him put on a stern face and say, “Well, young man. That was not bad. Ray Hardin sent me here to listen to you to be sure you were teaching sound doctrine.” Sammie did it. And it had the desired effect…and then some. It scared young Tim really bad. He said he thought his legs might not hold him up. And the next time I talked with Sammie I told him how successful his efforts had been. I also told him I wasn’t sure he would really do it. Sammie looked me right in the eye and said, “I told you I would.” That about sums it up. Sammie was a man of his word. If he said he would, he would.

That reliability made Sammie a man for all seasons. All generations. All times. And even though he lived in the real world and loved to talk on his cell phone and set his T-Vo…if he could just remember how to set the thing!...Sammie’s values, interests and admiration was mostly for the older traditional things. The traditional church. And its traditional ways…especially its traditional songs.
Sammie loved the old songs—and their theology—and he knew all the words. He could sing without looking at a hymnal:
Be with me, Lord, I cannot live without thee.
I dare not try to take one step along.
I cannot bear the loads of life unaided.
I need they strength to lean myself upon.

A wonderful savior is Jesus my Lord.
A wonderful savior to me.
He hideth my soul in the depths of his love
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Abide with me, fast falls the even tide
the darkness deepens, Lord with me abide
When others helpers fail, and comforts flee
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Today we are not going to have a choir or chorus sing to us. We are going to sing
together…some of the really old songs that Sammie loved…because that’s what he loved to do. He attended those Lectureships at ACU and Pepperdine not so much for the preaching and teaching as for the singing. When we sing together today, on behalf of Sammie and the entire family, I ask that you sing out! Put your inhibitions and reservations aside and sing out!

 

 

 

 

Like so many things in my life I am late in responding but long in my deep feelings for Sammie. Like many I met him when I was young and looking for myself. He introduced me to my life partner (Gayla) and married us two weeks and nine hours later. He remarried us on our seventh anniversary (after I got out of the USMC) and said he thinks the marriage will last. He was very dear to us and will be missed. Like many have mentioned we will always remember his happy ways and his sweet smile. He always saw the good in people and encouraged them to be the best they could be. Let us all try to bless the world we live in like Sammie did.

 

 

My wife Madeline and her friend Joanne Legere firt met Sammie at the Bible Chair at San Antonio college in 1957 or 1958!  Madeline had already been baptised into Christ at Woodlawn Church of
Christ by Harold Tremble, Woodlawn didn't have a baptistery at the time and they actually took her to Jefferson. She and Joanne who was a Catholic actually attended many of Sammie's lectures for the next 3 years. End of that story, Joanne married a catholic boy so that was the end of her conversion!

Since 1958 we have attended many church services with Sammie and Jo Ann and Madeline and I always tried to at least go to where he was preaching on Easter. Sammie did the eulogy for my mother Murriel Kennedy Jennings, she always attended the churches where he was.

Sammie also did the eulogy for our son Forrest Clark Copeland that died on Dec. 9, 1994 at the young age of 31. My brother Carlos Eugene Copeland (Sonny) who lived in Louisian was
also friends with Sammie and Jo Ann. When Sonny died I thought of having Sammie there but it was really too far away. If my memory serves me right Sonny and Sammie went fishing or hunting together. Our heart goes out to Jo Ann, Terri and Michael.  A Wonderful man has gone to be with our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

  

We have known Sammie and Jo Ann so long I don't remember when we met. Sammie is one of my most all time admired people as are you, Jo Ann. I remember Sammie and you were great supporters of our San Antonio camps at Camp Bandina. We cant't imagine how great a loss you feel but we also know what a strong person you are. We are sorry we could not be at Sammie's funeral, but have thought of you often after we heard. We love you, Jo Ann. Ken & Virginia Rich

 

 

Sammie became the preacher at my home church, Beacon Hill Church of Christ, in San Antonio in 1958. I was a young girl but remember his son, Mike, in a baby walker. Sammie became a very big part of my family and my life. He baptized me, performed my marriage ceremony, performed the funerals of several of my family members and was always there for me and my daughter, Robin. Later when I attended SAC, I spent a lot of time at the Bible Chair and in Sammie's Bible classes there. Sammie knew how to love everyone, have a Christ-like attitude, and have loads of fun. This made him a very loved man. I miss his tremendous hugs and encourgement. I never saw Sammie without a big smile on his face. Even though Sammie was only a few years younger than my Mom, we always intended Sam to do her funeral, but God had different plans. Sammie died about 2 1/2 months before my Mom. I had such a feeling of disbelief - Sammie would always be around- and I was heartbroken. I am still trying to adjust to loss of Sam and my Mom, two godly, fantastic people. I MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU, SAM! Linda Worrell

 

 

A message from Scott Ball

Sammy always said that if beat him in Ping Pong at the San Antonio College Bible Chair then you're not studying hard enough. He must have had a hard day the one time I did. We'll miss him.

Scott Ball

 

 

 

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