Jane Schweizer Fairchild

Edwards Grade School, Bloomington Junior High School

Bloomington, IL; Dallas Texas; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Minneapolis Minnesota, Albuquerque, New Mexico (over 15 years); and Normal, Illinois.

MY LIFE STORY
I am grateful and thankful to have known many valuable people in life from BHS. I regret NOT being the best of students and taking advantage of life itself rather than embracing life to its fullest those many years ago.
Time on this earth is that of VAPOR, here today, gone tomorrow.
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When we are young, we oftentimes would say 'Are we there yet', as we became anxious on a family driven trip during the summer months.
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Today, I will say 'Stop, I already reached there, but NOW it is time to embrace, and enjoy the here and now of today before it too is gone'
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My greatest accomplishment in life was not an accomplishment of what I did, but was embracing Jesus as my Lord on an empty Sunday School bus on Sunday, October 9, 1977 and the 2nd best accomplishment was marrying the most precious treasured man in all this world, my husband, Mark Fairchild - as he became my true god-given 'knight in shining armor'...
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My first job where I earned money was when I was 12, 13, 14 years old and I picked apples at the Bricklebaul Apple Farm - west of Bloomington for the harvest season. My Dad would drop me off at 6:00 am. We would gather together on the horse drawn wagon as they would take us all out to those apple orchard fields. I worked alongside of the Migrant workers. Hard sweaty dirty work, but I managed to always have fun. We then would climb on that horse drawn wagon in those fields and go back at sundown.
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At the age of 15, 1 block from where I lived, I was hired at Williams Bakery, opening the Bakery at 6:00 am, leaving at 9:00 am, running home, changing clothes, and off to BHS at 10:00 am. At age 17, I was hired on at Beich's Candy on West Front Street, first in their mailroom, and then in their data / computer Department.
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I was taught through my Poppa to always work hard, giving an extra mile, with a smile on my face, being grateful, and to be 'happy' for the blessings that surrounded me.
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I grew up on West Monroe Street throughout those years. Bloomington City purchased my home and it was torn down March 1997.
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My brother is Paul Schweizer. We have a closer relationship as we grown in our years, and value the time we have together.
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My father, whom I adored, Herman Schweizer, he worked at Western Union as a Lineman all those many 45 years. His office was in the attic in the old GM&O Railroad station. I remember climbing up those steep attic stairs and in his office (which was cold and dark), he had his wall covered with my drawings that I gave him. I loved him so much . I was very much a Daddy's girl.
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My mother passed away July 1992. My father passed away May 2004.
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Growing up our needs were always met, food, clothing, warm home, clean sheets (always); clean in our home (my mother took pride in 'clean'), and my Poppa use to always make sure that my feet were fitted to the best shoes at that time which were Buster Brown Shoes.
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I went through many things growing up.
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TODAY, I am very strongly connected to a GOOD GOOD GOD as written in God's word through JESUS CHRIST - who restores...
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My LIFE today is good, even though I have to walk through struggles of what came against me as a child... I still have a GOOD LIFE within TODAY.
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I married the love of my heart and life. His name is Mark. We now have been married since February 18, 1978.
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Mark, my most trusted friend and husband, showed me true, trusting, genuine love.... the kind of love that looks for the best in you as a person and God's Word says that the husband is to love the wife as Christ loved the CHURCH and gave Himself up for her... (Ephesians 5:25) This is the kind of love Mark has given to me in our many years of marriage...

If you know about Fairchild Hall on the Illinois State University campus - this is Mark's great Uncle (brother to his Grandfather). Mark came from a very solid family line in education. The first female physician in America was a woman named Elizabeth Blackwell. This is Mark's family line. His Grandmother grew upon on Blackwell Island in (Astoria), New York City (now known as Roosevelt Island) and her name was Sarah Blackwell Fairchild.

The Wolford and Blackwell Family immigrated from Paris France and England. The Fairchild Family immigrated from England.

God changed my heart. and GOD restored GOOD into my life today.
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My best of friends those years were Jack Richard White (BHS 1970); Mary Lake Smith; Michelle Kuhn; Ruby Bryant, Julie Casali (such a sweetheart); Ruth Bachman Haney; Donna Monkman, Nancy Render Semingson

Thanks for giving me a chance. I regret not getting to know more classmates at BHS in those early years of life.

I really do love you all... and thank you for being my classmates...

Since being married to Mark since February 18, 1978, we have had a great marriage and friendship. We have been involved with many things throughout these years.

We both attended and graduated from Christ for the Nations Bible College, Dallas, Texas.

We also moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, in which Mark received his MA Degree in Communications.

I gained full time employment at Regent University Law Library connected to the School of Law at Regent University (700 Club / CBN) where Mark was obtaining his MA degree. I also worked part-time at a Law Firm. Also working a 3rd job at Regent when they had special events.

During our time at Regent University, I became very involved with being a Prayer Partner on Friday evenings. When people around the world will call the 700 Club Prayer line to have prayer. This was an honor for me.

We ended up at Albuquerque Rescue Mission (New Mexico) as Mark became the Executive Director. We were in Albuquerque from 1989-2005. I worked alongside of Mark, mainly as a volunteer, during this entire time in Albuquerque.

We often served over 600 homeless people daily.

We also expanded the work in this ministry and purchased a warehouse building next door. To accomplish this it cost 1.7 million to renovate this building. We had shared with the Board of Directors that before we ever left this area, our goal was to have this debt completely paid in full. Within 7 years time we accomplished that goal.
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Mark and I life time career came through 38 years serving our GOD in RESCUE MISSION MINISTRY work to the poor / homeless/ addicts / prostitutes and people on the streets, oftentimes having 600 plus daily coming to our doors while serving at Albuquerque Rescue Mission for 1989-2005 - 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, for food, shelter, one year program to get off the streets, programs to help get off addictions; and the most important was the GOOD News message of JESUS CHRIST to give hope, restoration, and NEW to broken people...
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Now many years later, my life is becoming shorter as the years pass by us.
God's word is written: James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

We possibly have up to 80 years on this earth. What matters is our ETERNITY... The moment one is born, we come from the clay/dust and to the clay/dust we go back to becoming... but what will become our ETERNITY after life on this earth. For me personally, I know one thousand percent for my ETERNITY is in the hands of my Lord Jesus Christ... as I became 'BORN-AGAIN' as 'IT IS WRITTEN' in John Chapter 3 of the bible. The perishable becoming imperishable. The mortal becoming immortal...
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Proverbs 3:5-6 (by memory) Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding or knowing but ACKNOWLEDGE GOD in all you do or plan and HE will direct your path.
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God is faithful to those who listen to HIS VOICE, obey HIS VOICE, and are CALLED of GOD... (Such as Abraham, Moses, David, Ruth, and 12 Disciples, as they listened, they obeyed, and they followed)...

I, Jane, I OVERCAME many things against me growing up but
I choose to LIVE and I choose to be HAPPY in today.
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Beyond THANKFUL in life for knowing YOU from BHS...
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I remember the 60's and 70's of high school.

Reflections of Vietnam War of which my brother spent 2 years in Saigon during this war.

Bob Dylan music, Michael Jackson when he first came out, Beach Boys, Mamas and Poppas, Janis Joplin, The Monkees (I had such a crush on Micky Dolenz), Paul Revere and the Raiders, and one of my favorites 'Moody Blues', and may we not forget TINY TIM singing Tip Toe through the Tulips....

Also flower children, Hippie Generation, mini skirts, paper dresses, blue jeans - as my senior year I had two pair of blue jeans and a brown Indian fringe leather jacket, and a huge brown suede purse with fringe, that I wore daily... and saying things like 'Peace and Love and GROOVY'.

And remembering the most of precious friends such as Peter Habich (who use to live across the street from me) sadly though Peter committed suicide in 1997 in Chicago, IL; and Peter's father, Jakob Habich the Nazi Hunters hunted down and he was convicted in 1990 having been part of the Nazi Concentration Guard... Habich admitted he had concealed his service in several Nazi SS Death’s Head Battalions and as a prison guard in the Lublin and Auschwitz concentration camp systems.

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Special friends of life Julie Casali, Connie Curry, Terry and Debbie (McLean) Shelton, Nancy Render Semingson, Pam Bittner, Larry Webb, Joanne McDaniels, Jill Fitzsmmons, Donna Fitzgerald, Larry Wright, Larry Webb, Roger Brockway, Donna Monkman, Ruth Haney Bachman, Mary Lake Smith, and remembering my boyfriend during my junior / senior year, Jack Richard White, and the list goes on and on in remembering these special friends of life.

Jack Richard White (class of 1970), gave me hope as a young teenager. He treated me with respect and I will always be grateful for this. His mother and father hired me at their own Grandpa's Grill in Leroy Illinois the summer of 1970. They would pick me up in the early morning and take me home late at night. One of the BEST SUMMERS of my young life at that time. Richard gave me hope that their truly are kind people. Jack joined the Air Force and became career Air Force. He married his sweetheart in the Philippines. I shall always be indebted to Jack, for he encouraged a young girl (myself) to become better in life.

It is good to remember those whom were friends whom inspired me in life (as mentioned above)....

I shall always be grateful for these friends in life.

When I was a senior in high school, my most favorite teacher, Mr. Charles Ridenour.

During this time, I worked part-time at Beichs Candy.

VAPOR that is never to be again but all precious MEMORIES of time...
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Thank you for the friendships during those years at Bloomington High School.