I don't know much about Jimmy's early years as we were no where near eachother growing up. I do know he was born on August 8, 1966, and I believe that at that moment God plotted the course that would eventually bring us together years later. His parents are Ronald Swoger and Peggy Remey Swoger Holder. He has two surviving brothers, Kenny and Ronnie.  When he went to be with the Lord, he left behind a son Garrett Blue, and a daughter, Kahlen Swoger and of course me... I think I can speak for all of us, I believe he took a piece of all of us with him that dreadful day. Jimmy was killed in an automobile accident Oct 30, 2006. He left for work one day and just never came home.

It is so difficult to put into words the kind of man that Jimmy was. He was llike no other. We were friends WAY before we started dating, one of those good friendships that you are afraid to lose should the dating thing not work out. But I knew instantly we were meant to be together. I told my roommate when I got home that night that I knew I loved him and I knew we were going to be married. A year later...we were. One of the first things that attracted me to Jimmy was not his big beautiful brown eyes or his dark curly hair, but his easy going spirit. You could see just by looking at him the compassion he felt for other people. He was one of the most tender hearted people I have ever known. He loved so easy and he loved so deep. He immediately took the role of "Dad" for my son Garrett. They were instant friends. Jimmy loved Garrett like no other and it was from the very beginning! While we were dating, he would come to the house and they would stand out on the dock and fish for hours, talking about who knows what. I remember going to all his ballgames. Jimmy was so proud of him. He'd say things like that's my boy out there!  Garrett said one time that the reason they were able to get so close was because Jimmy never pushed. He was just there...being a friend and mentor and eventually becoming "DAD". Jimmy was so proud of Garrett, and had no trouble calling him SON from the moment we became a family. When Kahlen came along, he was so good. So nurturing and gentle. Oh he loved that baby girl. He had a rocking chair when we first got married. He told me that he'd bought that chair to rock his babies in, and that's the first thing he did the day we brought her home from the hospital. He took her out of the carseat and went straight for the rocker. He must have held her like that an hour! It was amazing watching him with tears of love and joy running down his cheeks as he rocked his baby girl.

Jimmy touched the lives of so many people during his working career no matter where he was employed at the time. When we met he worked for Independent Life Insurance running a debit route. I can't tell you how many wonderful people we met thru his time at Independent. I remember one lady inparticular, Miss Magnolia was her name. She loved "her Jimmy". Every month she would send home a sweet potatoe pie because she knew he loved them so. When he took me to meet her, she hugged me like a long lost child. She was one of the sweetesr ladiess I had ever met. Jimmy cried like a baby the day she died...

After he left Independent, he went to work at the Lowndes County Sheriff's Dept., Jail Division. He worked there several years where he made  many good friends and co workers. Even the inmates loved him. Most of them anyway... LOL. For years following his death, occasionally I would see a car drive up and a stranger get out. It would be an old inmate that had just learned of Jimmy's death and wanted to come by and tell me their story of how Jimmy touched their lives. And the one thing they all had in common was how much they cared for Jimmy and how he had helped lead them to the Lord. Jimmy never talked about this with me. He was not one to boast or brag it was just a quiet knowledge to him that he was doing the Lord's work. He loved his job there so much, but God had other plans for him.

From the Sheriff Dept. he went to  Sanderson's Plumbing. He supervised a warehouse there until they had a big lay off. He again loved his job. He liked all the men that worked under him. They all worked together as a team. He told me that he would never ask those men to do anything that he wouldn't do himself so he got out there and worked with them on the floor not just from behind a dest. He talked a lot about Mrs. Sam, the owner and Phyllis Fulgham, her assistant/personelle lady. He loved them. Everyone else was scared to see them coming but not Jimmy. He said they were two of the nicest women he'd ever met. And they are. I later was able to work with them in connection with the local Humane Society. And they are everything Jimmy said they were. And according to them they had a mutual respect for him.

After the lay off, he decided to go back to school. He started with the basics of course and later made the decision to enter the nursing program. In the mean time, he took a job at Baptist Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health Care Unit. And here he found his calling. He adored his co workers! And evidentally he loved his patients. At the funeral home and at the funeral, I cannot tell you the number of patients who gave tearful accounts of their time with Jimmy and how he'd touched their lives. One young woman waited til the last visitor was gone from visitation just to talk to me. As we sat and talked and she began to tell me about her life and how Jimmy had touched her life.She began to cry as she told me of her struggles and many attempts at suicide. She said that she really didn't think that she would be here today had it not been for him. She said he was always willing to talk to her and eventually led her to know the Lord. She said she just wanted me to know what a wonderful person my husband really was. Again, I never knew he was out there on the job, not only for his patients but for the Lord as well. 

I have so many wonderful  memories with Jimmy. He was a wonderful Godly husband, he led our family to church, in prayer and in day to day devotion to the Lord. He was what God said a husband should be. I am not saying that he was without fault. We all have our faults, and we had our share of hard and rough times as every married couple does. But he was special. He was put to the test EARLY in our relationship. Just after we became a "couple" instead of just friends, I found out I had to have open heart surgery. I had to have to valve replacements and aorta repair. He was with me when I found out. He just looked ar me and said we'll handle it...together! Of course I was all over the place with fear, not only of dying but of losing him if I happened to make it. What would I do about Garrett? What about my parents? All these things were no match for him. He said don't you worry, I will take care of everything if I have to. And I know he meant it. He almost lost his job because he took off to go to Denver, CO with me for my surgery. He didn't care! He was going and that was final. One night we were getting ready to go to church and he was sitting on the end of the bed watching me put on make up. He just out of the blue  ask, "Hey, will you marry me?" Long story short we decided it best to wait til after the surgery and if everything went ok, YES I would marry him! The first thing I saw when I woke up in ICU, was Jimmy leaning over my bed crying. The first thing he said to me was, "Ok lady you made it! Now, will you marry me?" I was still on the respirator so I couldn't talk but I shook my head yes and that was good enough for him. We were married on May 14, 1995. (This also happened to be my parent's forty seventh wedding anniversary) It was a great marriage. Looking back I can see where I may have taken him for granted at times. I hate that. So many people get too comfortable in their marriages. You forget to say the little things that really matter, the little terms of endearment, thank yous, etc. I know he knew I loved him but there are things I wish I could say to him now. Like Thanks for all the lessons learned from being married to him. He taught me so much about life, people, love, forgiveness, the list could go on and on. But the best lesson he taught me was to love myself, forget the handicaps, forget about all the things that bothered me about myself. And just be happy and thankful to be me. And he taught me how to love, completely. I think in a way he knew he wouldn't be coming home that day. Maybe not a concious knowledge but something. He always took Kahlen to school in the mornings and went straight to work from there, only stopping back by the house if he forgot something. But that morning he took her to school and walked back in the kitchen. I asked if he forgot something and he just grinned and said, "No, I thought I"d just stop by here and have coffee with my bride. (He always called me his bride) We had about two of the best hours of our marriage that morning over a cup of coffee. We talked about the kids mostly, how much we loved them how proud we were of them, what we wanted out of life for them, things we wanted to do to the house, my parents and how he wanted to build a small home in the back yard for them to live in so we could take care of them. We laughed about funny things that had happened throughout our life together...hey do you remember when...? Intimate things...  So many things.... hopes, dreams...  Such a tender moment. So special. He got up to leave, I can still see him standing by the door with his hand on the door knob. He looked at me and he said, "I sure do LUV you D A R lin!" I said,"I love you too! You be careful." He said "Nope!" But he always said that.... I tried to call him all that day but just figured he was in a place with no service. He was doing a little side work in construction in Tuscaloosa. About 3:30 that afternoon a sheriff deputy pulled up in the yard. I thought it was one of Jimmy's friends. But it wasn't.... A part of me went missing that day..

What for me now??? Well it's been almost five years now. And just like everyone said, life moves on even when you think yours never will... Well it does. And I'm glad it does because now I can share a great memory and not fall apart. I can remember his birthday in celebration. I can still miss him and it not feel like a knife in my heart. And because of him and all the great things he taught me, I can actually love again. I have recently remarried to a wonderful and loving  man I have known for twenty years. And because of Jimmy I will try so hard not to take a day with my husband for granted. I will try hard to say the little things that mean the most. I won't walk by him or my kids without a small touch just to let them know I love them.  I am so blessed to have had Jimmy in my life. 

I know as well as I know my name, that Jimmy is sitting with the Lord in heaven right now. Jesus is probably listening to some silly joke, Jimmy always had many to tell. But they are there together worshiping and praying. That just amazes me.What a wonderful sight it must be. And I know I will see him again one day. God promised me that. Then I can tell him myself Thank You for all the wonderful life lessons you have taught me. And thank you for giving me such a wonderful life and being one of  the greatest husband and father anyone could ask for. I love you , I always will and absolutely you will be forever missed, not just by me, but by many. Rest in Peace Sweet Love!