Paul and Dorothy Oswald Scholarship

Paul and Dorothy Oswald are energetic people — you can tell just by talking with them. And when you look at all they’ve accomplished, your impressions are confirmed.

Manson, Iowa, has been home for Paul and Dorothy all of their married life and for most of their respective childhoods. Dorothy is a life time Manson resident while Paul -is a transplanted Iowan, coming from Nebraska at a young age. As there is only one Mennonite church in Manson, they grew up knowing each other, eventually dating and marrying.

Paul was a partner in the family-owned John Deere dealership from 1943 until 1972. By 1972, both Paul’s father-in-law and brother-in-law had retired leaving Paul and Dorothy as sole owners.

The dealership flourished and grew all those years with a peak year in 1979. Times have been tougher since as the farm implement business followed the sluggish farm economy of the early ‘BOs. However, business has gone on and they are hopeful that things will turn around again in the near future.

In the midst of all this business activity, Paul and Dorothy reared five children, all of whom are now grown: Jane Oswald Swartzendruber ‘66, Paula Oswald McClave ‘69, Neil ‘71, Brian and Laurie ‘83. Dorothy devoted most of her time and energy to keeping up with these children.

Paul and Dorothy are now retired although their level of activity hasn’t let up much. Paul enjoys golfing although he claims to do it “more for the exercise than because Pm very good at it.” He also enjoys fishing and, best of all, likes to spend time with his eight grandchildren.

Dorothy is also a “doer.” She enjoys golfing with her husband, bowls, plays the piano and sings. But, like her husband, she enjoys the trips to visit her grandchildren the most.

Wintering in Florida has been a common practice for them. However, they did something different this winter. They served a very enjoyable winter Voluntary Service term in Tucson, Arizona. “We signed up for six weeks and stayed for four and a half months,” Dorothy laughed. “We plan to go back in October.”

While neither Paul nor Dorothy attended Goshen College, four of their five children did. “We always encouraged them to attend a church school,” Paul said. “I think that when they graduated from high school, it was already in their minds that they would go to one of the Mennonite schools.

It was through their children’s attendance at Goshen College that Paul and Dorothy became increasingly interested in the college. Their youngest daughter, Laurie, was an exceptional 1983 Goshen College communications major. As a tribute to her, they have now established the Paul and Dorothy Oswald Scholarship Fund for Communication Majors.