By Lindsey Rowland
lrowland@wbcowqel.com
Crawford County is the land of bratwurst and copper kettles, of nature reserves and high school football games, of tradition and community and pride. Crawford County plays home to us all and, despite different experiences, backgrounds, and even town lines, there’s something about the area that is a recipe for rich roots.
This rings true all across the board, but it does mean something different for each individual. And, with Crawford County being a place full of a wide range of people, it is also full of a wide range of perspectives on what makes home, home.
Hello, Crawford County
For many local residents, Crawford County has been a lifetime heartbeat, but for others, the experience of being in this corner of the universe is a bit foreign.
Matthew O’Brien is one such individual. The 26-year-old O’Brien hails from Perrysburg, Ohio, and, after studying education at Bowling Green State University, moved to Crawford County to teach English at Wynford High School. Currently, he finds himself very involved teaching the Junior and Senior English classes, along with humanities, public speaking, and film literacy, heads up the Interact Club, and has held positions coaching junior high track and cross country.
O’Brien hadn’t ever heard of Crawford County but, a little over two years ago, when he saw the job listing on the Ohio Department of Education website, he decided to take a leap of faith and has been thriving ever since. Though he still considers himself a new teacher, he claims that his freedom to learn and grow in his position is attributed to the openness of those who received him.
“The experience of getting to know the students and the parents has been a huge positive,” O’Brien said, “I feel that the community here is really open and, for a teacher, that take the intimidation that comes from being new to the community away when people are so open to talk to you.”
With the basis of acceptance as his initial welcome to Crawford County, O’Brien has felt the freedom to seize the opportunities offered to him, including working to complete master’s degrees at Ohio University, Ohio State University, and Ashland University through Wynford, with Bucyrus as his home base.
Despite the fact that all is currently well for O’Brien, his initial response was one of trepidation.
“I didn’t know if I could fit in here. I wasn’t used to the small town community,” O’Brien said, but claimed that the welcome he received was nothing but warm.
“As an outsider, when at first you step in, the people are so welcoming, so it brings down the barriers of ‘how am I going to fit in here’, or ‘how am I going to get to know anybody’, when very quickly you learn the community, because they’re willing to accept you. I thought that I would always feel like that outsider…but I consider Crawford County my home now.”
Despite no longer feeling like he stands on the outskirts, O’Brien is still able to provide a fresh perspective on the area. From his view, Crawford County’s strengths are the people themselves, as they are very friendly and welcoming, the learning community that is hungry and excited to be in the classroom, and the deep sense of tradition that runs in the veins of all who call the area home.
“America has a long tradition of remembering values and principles and applying those to the future, and I think Bucyrus embodies that-it knows where it started, it keeps the sense of tradition and rules and principles that they’ve had, but use those to guide the next generation to move forward.”
The advice that O’Brien would give to others with similar stories would be to give his new home a chance as, when putting it succinctly, he describes Crawford County as “a place to easily make your home. You can build a family, you can have wonderful teachers, you can have wonderful businesses, you can have wonderful opportunities, but it has a very firm reliance on its traditions that are a positive impact on its community members.”
O’Brien is one story among many of those who have come to Crawford County and celebrated all of the qualities that make it home and, after walking into open arms, he doesn’t plan on going anywhere.
Welcome back to Crawford County
While some come to make Crawford County their home, others, like Brandon “Buzz” Kocher, grow up in the area and head out on adventures of their own before returning back to the small town they’ve always known.
Kocher, a 25-year-old native of Bucyrus, just came back home from a year abroad with Campus Crusade for Christ, or Cru, serving as a missionary in a small eastern European country called Slovenia. While in Slovenia, he and his team worked to learn an entirely new culture and to sustain a college ministry.
Kocher’s heart was first stirred for the country, which is about the size of New Jersey, while on a summer mission trip with Cru, where the needs of the people that he met led him to return for round two.
Now, that same heart has prompted him to begin working with Bridges International, a branch of Cru at Ohio State University that focuses on reaching students coming in from other countries.
Kocher has seen much of the world and has a heart that lies with people from all kinds of cultures, but he has come back to Bucyrus to view his home through widened eyes. While abroad, Kocher learned a lot, and was always comparing to that which he has always known.
“I just figured that this was the way life kind of was, slow paced, pretty laid back, chill for the most part, and that the world is pretty big, and it still is,” Kocher said on his comparisons, “But after going overseas and seeing a different culture and a different way that people do things…the world’s a lot different than what it is here and the small town, rural areas that I’m accustomed to.”
Much like O’Brien, Kocher reflects on the kindness of Crawford County and the warmth of its people.
“I think something that sticks out is the friendliness of people here, walking down the street…people are very friendly, say hi to you. With my line of work in Slovenia and really meeting a lot of new people…I think that helped tremendously in what we were trying to accomplish…to reach out and be bold.”
While Kocher does miss the beauty of Slovenia, especially the view of the Alps that he frequently got to enjoy, returning to Bucyrus has been an outstanding experience. He cites that it’s wonderful to be back in the smaller community that he has known his whole life, to be completely familiar with his surroundings once again and to enjoy the presence of family and friends.
When asked about the best aspects of Crawford County from his perspective, Kocher said that the slow pace of life, lack of cutthroat competition amongst community members, and the quiet safety and peace here are the greatest features and stand in stark contrast with many places in the world.
Adding to all of these things, Kocher states that the unique role Crawford County can play in the world rests largely in the contributions that can be made to the realm of agriculture.
“We all know that agriculture is an extremely, extremely important part of the world and what keeps it spinning,” Kocher said, “that’s something we can continue to give back to the world.”
Admittedly, there are many places on this planet with which Kocher has fallen in love but, no matter where he goes, Crawford County will always be the spot on the map that he calls home.
“Wherever I end up going for long term or short term, it’s still always the place that I’ll always refer to as home and, I’ve always said this, I don’t think I would have had it any other way. I feel like this area has taught me a lot about my life and has set me up well.”
Kocher continues on with his hope for the future.
“I hope that people twenty five years from now can say the same thing. This place is special and I’ll always enjoy coming back.”
And as for advice to fellow adventurers from the area, Kocher encourages community members to remember that the world is a lot bigger than we realize in rural Ohio, and that we should all seize the chance to see what we can, when we can. He also encourages everyone, home or away, to seek out new experiences with people that come from differing backgrounds as a means of encountering diversity and expanding one’s horizons.
Finally, Kocher encourages all to never forget two things: your passport, and your home.
Farewell, Crawford County
And, finally, there are those who, despite building themselves in Crawford County, find that it’s time to spread their wings.
Such is the scenario for Brooke Miller, a 2015 graduate of Wynford High School who is heading off to her freshman year at The Ohio State University. While at Wynford, Miller was heavily involved in a little bit of everything, including volleyball, cheerleading, track, choir, serving as both a class officer and member of student council, Interact Club, Young Life, and National Honor Society.
Miller has planted her roots in a small town, but her plan is to move to a bigger city to work for a large company, with the ultimate dream being to own her own company. Incredibly ambitious, Miller cites the opportunities that she has gained in a small community for giving her confidence in leadership and a keen sense of responsibility.
“I believe my leadership has been cultivated in Bucyrus because of everything it let me try before going into the adult world where I couldn’t trial and error the way a smaller community has let me,” Brooke said, reflecting on the experience she has had while growing up in this area.
While growing up, however, Miller wasn’t always sure what to think about her home, saying that she wasn’t fully aware of all that Crawford County had to offer, noting only that it was a small pond while she desired something a bit larger. Despite the occasional dissatisfaction she felt while growing up, Miller can now see that Bucyrus was exactly what she needed to prepare for her next adventure.
“Although it felt too small, it gave me a sense of security and was the perfect size of an environment for me to grow,” Miller said, before continuing on to say that knowing everyone around her was one of the best features of Crawford County, as well as the chances she got to be able to put herself out there.
And now, as she makes preparations to leave all that she has known, Miller’s heart is shifting.
“At first, I could not be more excited to leave, but the closer my college move-in day comes, the more I realize how hard it is going to be to leave this community. I’m leaving more than just Crawford County, it will be like leaving a big family. I haven’t truly appreciated or cherished my time in Bucyrus until reality finally hit.”
Despite the deep emotions involved in the move, Miller is excited about transitioning from one world to another.
“I cannot wait to see what OSU has to offer me, and what I can bring to it as someone raised in Bucyrus.”
At this time, Brooke is planning on steering away from the small town atmosphere, she also states firmly that she will never be short of appreciation in everything it had to offer her.
“As I go away and face a new culture attending a university with 60,000 other students, I believe I will be more grateful for my little town. Although I have started to rename Columbus as my home, it will never compare to the permanent home I have in Crawford County.”
To anyone that might find themselves on the same road as Miller, she simply advises to never be afraid to put yourself out there, and to look to one’s upbringing in a place like Crawford County for confidence and a firm foundation.
And from such a solid springboard, the next generation can launch forward with roots reaching ever more deeply, even as branches stretch to the sky.
In addition to reaching out to neighbors and enjoying all that home has to offer, there are many different ways to get involved in all that’s happening in Crawford County. For more information on events, news, community members, and everything in between, check back frequently at crawfordcountynow.com and ask yourself, “How do you view your home?”