by Dorothy Taylor photo courtesy of Coquille City Hall

Coquille citizens, fellow workers, family and friends said  goodbye to Mike Swindall last Saturday and paid tribute to  his life by gathering at the Coquille Christian Church .

The  church was filled with people who knew and loved him.  They began coming an hour early, knowing they wouldn't  get a seat or a parking place if they didn't. He's always  been Mike to people in Coquille where he lived his entire  life from November 5, 1952 until April 11, 2009. He is  remembered as Mike to the kids who went to school with  him -- (Samone, to his closest friends)--, graduating from  Coquille High in 1971 and attending SWOCC studying  business. He's remembered by Mike Owen and Tim Baker  as a partner in MTM Productions playing music together for  12 years in Coquille and the Pacific Northwest.

He's  remembered as the kid at Save-On Food. He worked for  Dale and Myra Powers at Purkey Furniture while it was in  Coquille and then in Coos Bay. He's remembered as steady  and dependable Mayor Mike by Loran Wiese and those who  worked with him, and to the town. He's remembered as the  'guy who put in our flooring", either with his dad Monroe or  later without him. He's remembered as a worker with a  heart and then manager of the Hospice thrift store. No matter  where he was or what he was doing Mike is the one  remembered. He was easy going with a sense of humor and  a big smile who acknowledged other people and greeted  them. He tried to treat everyone the same, kindly and with  regard. He had the quality to make you want to know him  and be his friend.  Mike wanted to help his mom so badly when she developed  cancer, that he volunteered at South Coast Hospice.  His parents Mary Edna and Monroe Swindall, started the  first Hospice Cancer Support Group in 1997.

When he  learned that he had cancer, very few knew about it.  For the four years he had cancer, he just kept on being  Mike and working for Hospice. Mike's mom owned the  Pamper Parlor. Sheri Thompson of Springfield remembers  working there and loved Mike's big smile when he came in  to see mom. Not many know that Mike's maternal greatgrandfather  was Nickolas Lorenz, the first mayor of  Coquille in 1901. Nickolas's son Charles was Mary Edna's  father. She was a cousin of Camilla Reitman. Nickolas was  Mary Edna and Camilla's grandfather.  The joy of Mike's life has been his family, wife Cindy  (Walden -he knew her from age six), his children, Brown,  Sarah, and Scott and to be with his other family members,  sister Barbara, and the Ernie Walden family. His mom and  dad had departed before he did; his dad on March 20, 2009.  “I'm Free Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free.

I'm following  the path God laid for me. I took his hand when I  heard him call, I turned my back and left it all, I could not  stay another day, to laugh, to love, to work or play. Tasks  undone must stay that way. I found that peace at close of  day. If my parting has left a void, then fill it with remembered  joy. A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss, ah yes, these  things I too will miss. Be not burdened with times of sorrow,  I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow. My life's been  full, I've savored much, good friends, good times, a loved  one's touch. Perhaps my time seemed all too brief, don't  lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up you hearts  and share with me. God wanted me now; He set me free.”  (from Mike's memorial)