Frank Swedzinski was there when Ivanhoe built the hospital 40 years ago. He's seen the hospital close and the other facilities grow. Now, Swedzinski feels it's time for others to carry on the work and he has resigned from the Divine Providence Nursing Home Board.
"I decided the time has come," he said.
"We have a good governing board. It just wasn't me; we have a good board," Swedzinski said, adding he was leaving things in good hands. "It existed with me and it will exist without me."
But it won't be easy to replace him, said Cheryl Verschelde, nursing home administrator and an Ivanhoe native who has worked at the hospital for 27 years.
Kevin Leibfried has taken over Swedzinski's seat as president, but they are still looking to fill the spot Swedzinski left vacant on May 31.
"When you look at the years that he's given and the dedication to our goals, he's such a strong advocate of following our mission and purpose," Verschelde said. "We appreciate all the years of dedication. There's not a lot of people who will give the years he did."
"It's amazing that a person can dedicate themselves to a job the way Frank has," said Leibfried. "He's done a wonderful job. He certainly will be missed by all of us."
"We're sorry to see him leave," said Diane Healy, who has served on the board for 10 years. "He was such a part of the hospital and nursing home. A wonderful member and president and he made friends all over the state in the medical community. We wish him well."
Swedzinski has many memories from his years on the board.
"Our rural community has been very good to me," said Swedzinski, who lives near Porter. "I made a pledge to give back to the community some service time."
When he was asked to help with the hospital Ivanhoe was trying to build, he accepted.
"I served on the planning and building and fund-raising committees," Swedzinski said, "then was asked to serve on the board."
He's proud of the fact the community of Ivanhoe raised the money to build the hospital itself and there was no government money. "The towns really came together, Ivanhoe, Taunton, Minneota and all the townships," he said. "The facility being built, dedication, everything that went with it. A dream come true to the community."
The nursing home quickly followed the hospital in being built and is still going strong.
"The drug store is still operating, it was put in after the clinic was built," Swedzinski said. "It's a bonus to the community. A private individual bought it and is operating it now. It's a convenience for the community."
There's also a chiropractic office and a mental health clinic still operating.
Unfortunately, the hospital is not.
Swedzinski said the rural population has shrunk over the years and patient population shrank with it.
"We associated ourselves with Avera-McKennan for many years," he said. "Tremendous resources and tremendous help for our facility. Without their partnering with us, I'm sure we'd have closed 10 years sooner."
But the partnership couldn't bring in more patients or cut the expenses.
"We sometimes forget the hospital is open 24 hours a day and if one person is there, it must be staffed," Swedzinski said.
The hospital was closed two years ago.
"It provided excellent medical services through the years to the Ivanhoe community," Swedzinski said.
Swedzinski told of how a member of the Bonzeck family came home to get cancer treatments in Ivanhoe and was so pleased with his care he set up a nursing scholarship from more than $100,000.
"The only stipulation was the nurses had to serve in a rural community," Swedzinski said. Many came back to Ivanhoe. "We've had many, many recipients receive that scholarship and continue in the medical profession."
Swedzinski said he had tried to resign several times in the past, but "Sister Marietta said 'We have a crisis, you can't leave now.'"
But there's no crisis and Swedzinski has plans.
"I have 11 grandchildren to play and visit with," he said. "Playing cards, relaxation; Vikings and Twins are high on the menu. And I'm involved in church, too.
"Working with people has always been great," Swedzinski said. "It's been an interesting life."