MOM’S MEMOIRS – IRENE LOUISE (NEE KUCKKAN) MUELLER
(Continued)

Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 54 – In Book, Page 129

Moving of ROC to St. Mark’s, PT’s Name, Razing of the Globe Mill Office (the ROC), November 2009, (Pebbles from the ROC, Article in Watertown Daily Times), December 2009, The Future of the ROC by the Pastor/Director of the ROC
 

WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM TO BRING YOU ANOTHER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

OCTOBER 3, 2009 – THE MOVING OF THE ROC TO ST. MARK’S

According to the St. Mark’s “The Messenger”, “Our Watertown Recreation & Outreach Center (THE ROC) for Youth has been notified that it must move immediately. The ROC Board has set Saturday, October 3rd, as moving day. Trucks are also needed for the move. If you know you will be able to help, please call Pastor Mueller at 206-9581 or 261-4444 to let him know. You may also simply stop by to help by being at THE ROC on Oct. 3rd at 9:00 a.m. “Many hands make light work.” Thank you so much.

The ROC had to move its location from 321 S. Water Street because the old Globe Mill building which it has used for over five years will be razed and a developer will be building an apartment complex on the property. Various buildings were looked at, but they were not right. St. Mark’s, 615 Jones Street – (Corner of 6th & Jones Street) offered a wonderful room in its fellowship hall basement as a temporary home for THE ROC, so that is where some of the possessions have been moved. Others have been put into storage.

The move is a blessing which the Lord has poured out onto the ROC. Many teens and adults came to help the move. Our son, Tim, had told us to come to the building on S. Water Street at 12:00 to have lunch. When we got there, that’s all it was – a building. It had been cleared out! What a change! Tim had arranged everything so the move went smoothly. It had rained a little that morning and I offered a little prayer to God, asking him, if He so wills, not to let it rain. He answered my prayer – He not only didn’t let it rain – He let the sun came out!!!!

We thank God for that blessing and know He will bestow many more blessings on THE ROC, its teens, volunteers, others, and our son, “Timothy Peter”, the Pastor/Director of the ROC – the name “Timothy” originates from the Greek word, “Timotheos” which means “honoring God”, and the name “Peter” originates from the Greek word, “Petrus”, and it means “rock”. (Tim is the first of our six children to be born in Africa, in Northern Rhodesia before it became independent and was renamed Zambia). AS MY HUSBAND AND TIM HAVE ALWAYS SAID THROUGHOUT THEIR MINISTRY, “THE LORD WILL PROVIDE”.

ADDED NOTES:

In the Thursday, October 22, 2009, edition of the Watertown Daily Times there was a picture of the old building being razed. Underneath it said: “ Making Way – The last remaining structure of the old Globe Mill on South Water Street is razed by Watertown Street Department crews Wednesday as preparation of the site for a planned senior housing complex. Later known as the A to Z Farm Center, the building was most recently home to the Watertown Recreation and Outreach Center (ROC)”.

Besides taking away the ROC building, which is sad for us, it is also sad for many of us (including me), Watertown “oldies”, that the last building of the old Globe Mill was razed. It was approximately 125 years old. It was built by Mr. Fred Miller (1833-1921), and was known as F. Miller & Co. which later became the Globe Milling Co. My father used to take my sisters, brother, and me (when we were little – during the 1930s) to the Globe Mill so he could buy feed for the animals on our farm. He told us to stay in the car. The Globe Mill, which later burned, except for that one building, was a huge building with a long platform in front. There was a big scale on which they placed the bags of feed to weigh them. Then my father would go over to the building (there was still a huge antique safe in there) — which later housed the ROC — and pay for the feed. Can you blame me for being a little nostalgic? I am thankful that Dick and I did not know on which day they razed that building, but saw the picture and read about the razing in the Watertown Daily Times. Our son, Tim, told us that he was told on what day it would happen, so went there and took pictures. We didn’t know when that would happen. We have gone by there, and now there is a big hole in the ground where the building, including the basement, was. But it was only a building, right, and we thank God for allowing the use of it for the ROC for over six years.

FROM THE NOVEMBER 2009 ST. MARK’S “THE MESSENGER”

ROC – Pebbles From the ROC –

“As we think of all of the support so many of you have given to THE ROC Mission and Ministry, we think of the words of the Apostle Paul, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you” – What a blessing you all are and how grateful we are to be in God’s family with you through Christ our Savior! We were indescribably overwhelmed by how many people showed up for the ROC MOVE and how willing everyone was to help. It also lifted everyone’s heart to see how so many ROC teens showed up to help. The main part of the move was completed in only two and a half hours. We, then, together enjoyed a wonderful “Celebration of the ROC(K)” meal. Our thanks first go to our Lord, who is our ROCK and Redeemer. Thank you also for all of your help and thank you to those who provided the meal. It truly was a wonderful day. Thank you to St. Mark’s for providing a temporary home for THE ROC. Anyone is welcome to stop by THE ROC which is now in the basement of St. Mark’s Parish Hall. Please continue to help us look for a permanent home for THE ROC. Also continue to pray that many more teens hear the Gospel of Christ through THE ROC.” – By Pastor/Director of the ROC – Tim Mueller

FROM THE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2009, WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES –

Editor, Daily Times:
My husband and I just saw on a Milwaukee TMJ4 newscast that an empty building in Milwaukee was used for partying, resulting in the building being padlocked. Later the owner said he “was going to turn it into a youth center.” Good for him!
The ROC (Recreational and Outreach Center) building has been demolished (please see Thursday, October 22, front page picture and “Making Way” article in the Watertown Daily Times).
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church members, the ROC has a “temporary” home in the basement of St. Mark’s parish hall.
What about the owners of those empty buildings on and just off Main Street in Watertown? Isn’t there even one generous owner who “is going to turn his or her building” into a permanent home for the Watertown ROC teens? THEY NEED YOU! Please help them. If you can and are willing to help, please call: Director/Pastor Timothy Mueller, 920-206-9581.

Mrs. Irene Mueller

DECEMBER 9, 2009 – THE FUTURE OF THE ROC – AN E-MAIL TITLED “THE ROC IS A HOME” BY PASTOR DIRECTOR OF ROC YOUTH CENTER MUELLER

THE ROC IS A HOME For many of the teens, our Watertown Recreation & Outreach Center (THE ROC) for Youth is their home or home away from home. Watching the old building on Water Street torn down, in many ways, tore at the hearts of the teens. Comments by the teens include, “The ROC was a big part of me growing up and kept me out of a lot of trouble – so many memories.” “It’s just sad because so much was put into that building (the puzzle pieces and wall art). We became a part of it as much as it became a part of us.” We comforted the teens with the truth that what is most important isn’t the building but Christ and His Word which goes wherever we go. However, as our church building is important to us, so a ROC building is important to the teens. We wanted you all to know that much has been happening lately in regard to a future home for THE ROC. The ROC Board has been centering on a building at 213 N. 3rd Street (Carew Heating & Air Conditioning). The price of the building & lot ($120,000) and remodeling costs ($30,000) were beyond our reach until recently. An anonymous gift of $50,000 has been given to match a $50,000 Siebert Foundation grant, which added to our present building fund of approximately $10,000 gives us $110,000 in hand. A purchase offer is presently being drawn up which would include an interest free loan (the remaining $40,000) from the present owner until the end of 2010. We would be able to move in sometime in spring. We are confident that, together, we will be able to give and raise that $40,000 by that time. We give thanks to God for His blessings on THE ROC and for you and all your help and support.