Former Beaver Enjoys Perks of Latest Career
Kim (Hayworth) Bosworth remembers BV time with fondness as she continues serving Decorah, her community the past 44 years.
Kim (Hayworth) Bosworth ’78 did everything but sit still after her retirement. The former teacher and dean is now serving up sandwiches, coffees, and Norwegian delicacies as owner of Java John’s in Decorah, the community she’s been a part of for 44 years.
“I retired from Northeast Iowa Community College in 2012, doing so, in part, to help care for my mother,” says Bosworth, who resides in Decorah with her husband, Ross, who is retired from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “I helped care for my mother for four years and had a wonderful time with her. I also worked on writing a book, ‘Just When I Needed Her Most,’ at that time.”
“One of my first classes at BV was interpersonal communications with John Madsen and I loved it. It convinced me of what I wanted to do.”
Kim (Hayworth) Bosworth, 1978 graduate
Bosworth, a native of Klemme, met Dr. John Madsen as she was debating her college choices. She selected BV because of Dr. Madsen, calling him an exceptional communicator.
“One of my first classes at BV was interpersonal communications with John Madsen and I loved it,” she says. “It convinced me of what I wanted to do.”
Bosworth became an English teacher and taught for one year at Decorah Junior High School before serving the following three high schools over the next two decades: North Winneshiek, South Winneshiek, and Decorah. After earning her master’s degree, Bosworth served as Dean of Arts and Sciences at NICC in nearby Calmar.
Following the death of her mother, Bosworth went into partnership and ran a gift shop in Florida for two years. When she and her son, Blake, couldn’t find a coffee shop to own and operate in “The Sunshine State,” they directed their attention to Decorah and bought Java John’s on the west edge of a busy downtown sector.
“We switched to a Norwegian menu, and it’s proven to be popular,” she says. “I make Norwegian pastries, which people visiting Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum, in town, seem to enjoy.”
Her success in varied career fields may be a testament to her collegiate experience at BV. Bosworth, after all, played basketball for one year, worked at Ballou Library, participated in theater, and served as Swope Hall President as a senior. In addition to enjoying Dr. John Madsen, Bosworth connected with English Professors Dr. Darrell Peck and Dr. Carl Adkins.
“I also remember Dr. Rick Lampe (Professor of Biology) very fondly,” she says. “I wasn’t a science person and needed a second science credit and had waited until my senior year. I took zoology and really enjoyed Dr. Lampe’s lectures in that course. They were so interesting!”