McCrossan’s is excited to kick off the new year with a new building on campus. In July, McCrossan Boys Ranch was gifted a historic church from the Bethel Lutheran congregation. The church, built the same year as the Ranch 56 years ago by a gentleman named Floyd Froehlich, was originally located by the Sioux Valley Hospital Campus. Later, it was relocated to 26^th Street and Valley View Road in western Sioux Falls. On July 30^th it arrived at its final destination: McCrossan Boys Ranch Campus. A foundation was quickly poured to accommodate the church thus finishing the first phase of this huge and exciting project.

The project’s second phase has just begun and includes; adding a foyer, electrical work, septic work, and repairs to the external structures including windows, doors and shingles.  We hope that by January 2010 the upper level of the church will be ready for use by the boys.

We are excited by the notion of having our very own place of worship for the boys. 75% of the boys choose to be involved in our weekly offerings which are offered each Sunday evening with the help of local church congregations. We also employ a part-time chaplain who serves the boys’ spiritual needs through mentoring, weekly Bible studies, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) huddles.

The church will be a multi-purpose facility while increasing the space we have available on campus. The lower level will be used to provide a large meeting space for staff, local community groups, therapy rooms, and much more.

Thanks to the generosity of Myron VanBuskirk, one of our McCrossan Board Members, and his family, we are working on raising funds to meet his $25,000 matching gift challenge. The VanBuskirk’s will match gifts 1:1 up to the $25,000 level. Additionally, we still need to raise $250,000 to complete this exciting project. Donations can be made using the enclosed envelope and selecting Chapel Fund.

The final phase which includes finishing the lower level will be completed sometime in 2010 when funds are available for the construction project.

A mere 56 years ago, a 90% disabled World War II veteran by the name of Floyd Froehlich was hired to build a church near the Sioux Valley Hospital Campus. That church would later become the McCrossan Chapel. And this is just a fraction of Floyd’s incredible story.

Floyd’s childhood was much like other children’s during the Depression. And also like many boys his age, when he became a man he would travel a world away to fight in one of the World’s greatest wars. Floyd left his mother, father, and sister for a couple of years when he was drafted into World War II. He returned after the military declared him 90% disabled because of a shrapnel injury to his leg. However, that wasn’t what devastated Floyd. Upon his arrival home, he learned that his mother passed away on Christmas Eve a couple of months before his return.

His father was selling off the farmland he owned (now the Froehlich Addition on North Cliff Avenue) and they were in need of a new place to live. Floyd, using crutches and a cane, built a new home for his father and sister to live. He found jobs working for several local businesses such as Henry Carlson Company. His passion for construction helped him build a business of his own doing what he loved most. Floyd never let his injury stop him from pursuing his dreams.

Floyd married his wife, Verla, in 1947. The couple adopted a beautiful baby boy whom they named Mark. Mark was their pride and joy and would follow in his father’s footsteps and work in the construction and contracting business. Verla and Floyd enjoyed a long and happy life together. Verla passed away in 2004 after 55 years of marriage.

Floyd built many of the treasured buildings around the Sioux Falls area including Christ the King Church, a round church in Humboldt, Bechtold’s, and many businesses. He also moved the old German Lutheran Church to his property to convert into a workshop for his construction business. Floyd knows a thing or two about building and moving churches. The 92-year old says that he “always enjoyed doing the Lord’s work.”

In 1968, Floyd began to get out of the construction business due to the union granting pay increases. Bids were no longer easy to get. Floyd then began building homes which are now his rental properties. Today, Floyd manages 17 rental properties.

In the early 1990’s the original church that Floyd built was moved to 26^th Street and Valley View Road and became the home of the Bethel Lutheran Congregation. His son Mark was a member of that church.

Mark passed away due to heart complications this past summer. It was only fitting that Mark’s funeral was the last one to be held in the Bethel Lutheran Church before it was donated and moved to the McCrossan campus. Mark was 56 years-old and yes, born the same year that both the church was built and McCrossan Boys Ranch was started.

In the most poignant of ways, Floyd’s beloved son will live on forever. Floyd is leaving a planned gift to McCrossan Boys Ranch to name the chapel after his son. The chapel will be called the “Mark Froehlich Spiritual Center.” 56 years ago Floyd would have never imagined that the church would live on in such a positive way, or that he would get to watch a church that he built be moved across town and welcomed to its new forever home, McCrossan Boys Ranch.

The gift is a real tribute to a remarkable man and the love that he has for his family. Now that his boy has passed on, Floyd is helping McCrossan Boys Ranch build “New Hope for a Better Life” for every one of our boys. Floyd’s legacy in his son’s name will truly help change lives. We are forever grateful for Floyd’s everlasting gift.