Hidalgo County New Mexico


Iva Pearl Robb Swift
wife of Bill Swift
October 2, 1928 - June 2, 2005
Pearl was the second daughter born to May Belle (Dominy) and Roosevelt Robb. The older sister is Phyllis Jean who lives in Weatherford, Texas. The youngest, Madeline June, died at 19 months of age.

After graduating from North High School in Phoenix, AZ., Pearl went on to Colorado Women’s Business College for 2 years. Pearl had met Bill Swift in high school and Bill stayed in Phoenix with her parents and attended Lamson Business College while Pearl was in Colorado. They were married August 18, 1948 in Phoenix.

Pearl and Bill moved to the Slash Ranch for a year and returned to Phoenix . Pamela Sue was born in 1950 and Will was born in 1951 in Phoenix. They moved to the Cienga Ranch in 1952.

They moved around a bit in their early years of marriage and at different times owned a dry goods store in Bowie and a second-hand store in Willcox. Pearl stayed busy with her children and was active in FFA and 4H while they were growing up.

Later, she was busy with community activities including the Sew What Club, W.I.F.E. (Women Invloved Farm Economics), and Cowbelles. After her husband Bill died, she took over his spot on the Board of the Columbus Electrical Co-Op. She also served on the State Board of Co-Ops, going to Santa Fe once a month for meetings.

In her activities with the two Boards, she traveled to Washington, DC to lobby on the behalf of the Co-Ops. She knew Senator Bingaman, and Representative Domenici and played an important role in the future of the Columbus Electrical Co-Op.

She and daughter Pam farmed hay for 7 or 8 years and when they started, they were the only ones doing it in that area. They later leased out the farm and then Pearl sold off the Arizona part of it before she died.

Pearl was an voracious reader and loved to play bridge. She was an avid gardener who especially loved flowers and worked in her yard as often as she could. That, and any family activities that included her grandchildren, made her very happy.