Scholarship Application - Burlington Alumni Scholarship

The Burlington Alumni Scholarship Endowment Fund was established at WYCF in 2007 to honor the memory of Miriam Neves Hammell. In 2008, Mrs. Lynette Loveland added a significant gift to the endowment in memory of her husband, James Loveland. Miriam Hammell and James Loveland were generations apart, each leading successful lives, but taking different paths. However, these Burlington Alumni never forgot their small town Wyoming roots.

About Miriam Neves Hammell

The individual that contributed to making this scholarship possible, Miriam Lena Neves Hammell, was born in Burlington, Wyoming on February 18, 1922. Living on a farm in the 1920s and 30s was a lot of hard work with very few of life’s luxuries. Education was important to Miriam. She graduated from Burlington High School in 1940 and attended the University of Wyoming. Learning did not come easy for Miriam, but she kept at it so that she would not have to work on a farm all her life. She felt that “farm work was just too hard!”

Miriam graduated from the University of Wyoming with a double major in Dietetics and Education. Miriam met George Wilson (Pat) Hammell, a returning WWII veteran, in her first year of teaching in Guernsey, Wyoming. Miriam and Pat were married in Burlington at her parents’ home on June 2, 1946. They adopted two little girls, Mary Lou and Carolyn Sue. Miriam was a dedicated teacher. She taught for over thirty years in Oklahoma. Most of her adult years were spent in literacy, helping non-English-speaking students learn and do well in school. Miriam loved to see her students succeed. She expected excellence and received it from her students.

Miriam’s true legacy is in the stories from the many people whose lives she touched. One of her former students said, “When I was a teenager, troubled, lonely, and with little self-confidence, Miriam showed unconditional love for me when I needed it most.” Miriam passed away on August 27, 2006. With her dedication to learning, it is fitting that Miriam Lena Neves Hammell left scholarship funds for generations of other Burlington High School students. She wanted to help others from the little community where she spent her hard working farm years have the opportunities she had for an education.

About James Loveland

For a memorial to her husband, Lynnette Loveland has generously helped build the permanent scholarship endowment fund for students who graduate from Burlington High School. James Loveland was born, raised and educated in Burlington, WY. When he was young, it became apparent that he was very inventive. James willingly donated his skill and substantial time, even though he was involved in school and church activities and worked for a farmer. While fixing a broken scoreboard, James figured out a way to add a foul light. He also built a speech synthesizer and successfully installed intercoms through all the school buildings. James graduated from high school in 1969, and in 1970 he married his high school sweetheart, Lynnette Childs from Basin, WY.

He attended Ricks College and graduated from BYU with a degree in broadcast journalism. While attending BYU, James started a construction company, which became one of Utah’s largest insurance restoration companies. His innovative thinking led to the creation of estimating software called Xactimate, which is widely used by both contractors and insurance companies for estimating repair costs involving property claims. Founded in 1986, the family-oriented company grew to become an international leader in the estimating software and the property claims business. James and Lynnette had five children: Jim, Eric, Amanda Behrbom, Lychelle Day, and Michael who died at age three. James’ first priority was his family. Favorite vacations including house-boating at Lake Powell, spending Christmas in Hawaii, and taking trips to Yellowstone.

He and Lynnette were there for anyone in need, especially troubled youth. In a tribute to James, a U.S. Congressman said “James was a light to others who are making their way through difficult times.” A special memory of James is of an e-mail he sent when the military reserves were being called to active duty. It was to announce an addition to company policy. Not only would jobs be held open for those called away, but Xactware would also pay the difference between their current salary and their active military pay for up to two years, including any shortfalls in medical benefits. He ended by saying, “If you have to take care of business for us over there, Xactware will help care for your family here.” When asked for advice about a difficult situation, James would sometimes reply, “There are two things I know for certain. One: There is a God. Two: I’m not Him.” James Loveland died of leukemia in 2005 at the age of 54.