IN HIS MEMORY — The Bergholz Community Foundation will dedicate the village medical building at 387 Third St., Bergholz, in memory of Larry Crow, a former foundation president, during the village’s annual Fourth of July celebration, which will be held on July 3. Following the parade that begins at 11:30 a.m., the dedication service for the Lawrence P. Crow Medical Building will be held at approximately noon at the Bergholz Volunteer Fire Department at 724 Monroe Ave. The public is welcome to attend. In front of new signage for the building are, from left, Mallory Puckett, certified nurse practitioner; two of Crow’s children, Scott Crow and Mindy Carpenter; Crow’s widow, Delores “Micki” Crow; and Bergholz Community Foundation leaders Terri McConnaughy, vice president and treasurer, and Amy Richards, president. -- Janice Kiaski

BERGHOLZ — A special ceremony during the upcoming holiday weekend will pay tribute to a special citizen who had a deep and sincere passion for service to his community.

The Bergholz Community Foundation will dedicate the village medical building at 387 Third St. in memory of Larry Crow, a former foundation president, during the annual Fourth of July celebration, which will be held on July 3.

The parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the dedication service for the Lawrence P. Crow Medical Building immediately afterward, at approximately noon, at the Bergholz Volunteer Fire Department at 724 Monroe Ave. The public is welcome to attend.

The speaker will be Marianne Featheringham, a former trustee of the foundation.

“The Bergholz Community Foundation board of trustees, along with the volunteer fire department, EMS and the Bergholz Ruritan Club were working to think of a way to memorialize Larry because of his involvement in the foundation and the community,” foundation President Amy Richards said in explaining the thought behind the building’s naming, which included a new sign.

“Larry spearheaded the medical building project, so we thought it was fitting and appropriate to memorialize him this way,” Richards said.

Crow was 71 when he died on Oct. 31, 2018, after a lengthy illness. A native of Amsterdam, he spent the majority of his life living in Bergholz, a town he affectionately referred to as the center of the universe and worked to make a better place to live.

Richards described Crow as a man who had a heart for his community, which was evident in the many organizations and projects he was involved in through the years.

Aside from the foundation, Crow was an active member and trustee of the Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Bergholz, past president and treasurer of the Bergholz Ruritan, a member of the Bergholz Volunteer Fire Department, a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge No. 315, Salineville, and a former president of the Edison Local Board of Education.

He started his career as a local branch manager at the Citizens Banking Co., which later became Sky Bank. At age 52, he retired from Sky Bank as the senior vice president of operations, dedicating the remainder of his life to serving others and his community.

Crow and his wife, Delores “Micki,” married in 1968 and resided in Bergholz for 50 years, where they raised their family, which included three children – son Todd Crow of Bergholz and daughters Chris Crow of Canal Winchester and Mindy Carpenter of Bergholz.

After Crow’s death, family, volunteers and fellow Bergholz Ruritan members established the Larry Crow Curb Cleanup Day in Bergholz to pay tribute to the man who took great pride in his community. The volunteers carried on a tradition that Crow so faithfully demonstrated, cleaning up Second Street and painting the curbs. The focus is on Second Street because Crow always wanted the main street to look beautiful, especially for the town’s Fourth of July parade.

“Larry loved Bergholz and wanted it to be the best and most beautiful place it could possibly be,” Richards said. “If there was a project to clean up or improve the town, Larry was sure to be involved in it. In the last few years preceding his death, he spent countless hours sweeping and cleaning the curbs along Second Street,” she said. “He also wanted the best opportunities and resources to be available for Bergholz residents. Without his hard work and dedication to community, Bergholz would not be what it is today.”

Crow was one of the five trustees who formed the original Bergholz Community Foundation board of trustees. He served for 24 years and in every capacity, from trustee, secretary and treasurer to vice president and president.

“During his years of service he spearheaded and instrumented many of the major projects that the foundation funded such as a generator installed at the fire department to facilitate an emergency shelter in the event of a power outage; the razing of several dilapidated properties in the village; Prime Time lunch service for seniors as well as the purchasing of a van for their transportation; welcome signs at the entrances to the village; and many beautification and village improvement projects,” Richards continued.

But the biggest and farthest-reaching project that Crow worked on was the purchase and setup of the medical building at 387 Third St. that now bears his name.

“He spent tireless hours to bring this service to Bergholz — a service that had not been in the community for more than 42 years. In thinking of a way to memorialize Larry for his service to Bergholz, naming the medical building after him just made sense,” she said.

“He adored this place,” Crow’s daughter Mindy Carpenter said.

To have the building dedicated in Crow’s memory is a gesture his family appreciates.

“It’s an honor for him and an honor for our family,” his widow said.

“I’m sure he’s smiling down from heaven,” added Mindy.

The property on which the building sits was donated to the Bergholz Ruritan Club for the use of medical services for the village of Bergholz by Hugh and Mary Louise Holligan in 1975. The first building, which houses the EMS Squad, was constructed in 1982. The second building, which is the medical building, was purchased in 2001 by the Bergholz Community Foundation with the purpose of meeting the medical needs of residents of the Bergholz area.

The medical building has Mallory Puckett, certified nurse practitioner, working under the direction of Dr. Ish Rawal of Total Medical Care, with the main office being in Canton. Puckett resides in Alliance with her husband, John, and son Maverick, and is no stranger to the Jefferson County community in which she not only works but has a personal connection.

“Mallory also has a heart for the community, as she has come back to serve the community she was raised in,” Richards said of Puckett, who is the great-granddaughter of Ralph McBane, one of the founders of the Bergholz Community Foundation.

Puckett is in the office every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dr. Rawal is there the last Friday of every month. New patients continue to be accepted. Blood services recently have been added to this location for the convenience of their patients, according to Richards. Blood draws can by done every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Total Medical Care is affiliated with Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Canton.

The foundation was the vision of the late Ralph McBane to make Bergholz and its surrounding communities a better place to live, according to Richards, his granddaughter.

Together with his son, Jim McBane, and fellow businessman and friend Bill DeNoon Sr., the foundation was formed with the original endowment of just under $100,000 consisting of several gifts of Sky Bank stock and a small amount of cash.

The intent was to fund projects in and around the Bergholz community that otherwise wouldn’t get monetary support, with the hope that the foundation could be the vehicle for ongoing improvements.

Officials identify the foundation’s mission as fostering community pride and enriching the lives of the residents of Bergholz and the surrounding area through leadership and financial assistance in the areas of safety, religion, education, culture and recreation.

The foundation manages permanent charitable funds and oversees different perpetual funds, including a scholarship fund, funds to benefit specific charitable organizations and unrestricted funds to support changing and emerging community needs. Aside from scholarships, it does not make awards to individuals and reviews applications submitted for assistance.

It was incorporated on Aug. 31, 1993, obtaining 501(c)3 tax exempt status as a public charity. Its original board of trustees consisted of five volunteers from the community — Ralph W. McBane, president; William S. DeNoon, vice president; Crow, secretary-treasurer; James C. McBane, trustee; and Margaret Blosser, trustee. In November 1994, the number of trustees was increased to nine.

“The foundation has funded more than $1,815,000 grants in its lifetime, and more than $410,000 of this amount went to scholarships for graduates of the Edison Local School District,” Richards said.

“Some of the more recent projects that the foundation has funded include a village camera project, which will increase the safety of the residents of Bergholz; increased funding to local food pantries, one that is funding a new program for working families to receive assistance; a COVID-19 relief program; and ‘Project Hope,’ which was an effort that included a series of projects and giveaways to enlighten people’s lives and bring positivity and hope to our area.”

Aside from Richards, other foundation leaders are Terri McConnaughy, vice president and treasurer; Christy Kemmer, secretary and assistant treasurer; and trustees Mike Dubetz, David McBane, Meghan Crow, Kimberlie Richardson and Ryan Boyd.

A review of the foundation’s achievements is good reason to promote a future that welcomes new members. “Our next big project is a membership drive,” Richards said. “The foundation is always seeking new members. Interested individuals can become a member in one of two ways — a one-time gift of $1,000 or a commitment of $100 a year for 10 years. Becoming a member make a person part of all the good the foundation is doing,” she said.

“We can’t do this without members (community). We are expanding our website, so that donations can be made directly on line with a credit card,” she said. The website address is www.bergholzfoundation.org.