CCHO is celebrating 50 years of ministry! Throughout 2019, we will be sharing stories of the lives that have been forever changed by the work God has done through our family of ministries (CCHO, Encourage Foster Care and Encompass Christian Counseling). This next story comes from the early days of our ministry. Robert Marshall, the second youth resident at CCHO, shares memories with us about his time living on campus in the 70s and the impact of Dennis and Dorothea Bowers in story #12 from our 50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry series.
I came to CCHO in August 1971 and lived there until I graduated [high school] in June 1975. I was the second resident in the program and still go back often just to visit. I feel that CCHO’s work then and now was and is very helpful to so many. My memories are numerous but here are a few.
Not too long after I arrived, I started going with Dennis Bowers [the first executive director and house parent] almost every weekend to churches all over Ohio to show a slide show. Dennis would talk about CCHO’s mission and what they started in 1969. After I had been at CCHO for a while, I talked a couple of times at these churches too.
I loved to go for walks down in the woods on the CCHO campus just to enjoy the beauty and quietness. When I lived on campus, the farm land was leased out to local farms and at times we would help them bail hay and straw and help unload it into the barn hayloft.
Each year, I went to Round Lake Christian Camp. Even after I left CCHO, I continued to work in the kitchen at Round Lake.
After I graduated in 1975, I went into the Navy. Dennis not only attended my graduation in 1975, he and his wife Dorothea also drove up to Great Lakes Naval Training north of Chicago for my graduation from boot camp in September 1975.
Dennis and Dorothea were like mom and dad to me and sadly there are both with our Lord now. Dorothea passed in May 2017 and Dennis just passed April 2019. I miss them both. We all lived in the main farm house—Dennis and Dorothea, along with their four young daughters. At one point there were four teenage boys and three teenage girls plus the Bowers’ family all living there. We had lots of fun and went to Parkview Church of Christ [now Parkview Christian Church] in Wooster.
I will be at the 50th Anniversary Benefit Dinner in June and hope to see everyone there. God bless everyone and see you in June.
