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Introduction
D id you know that Mariemont Community Church Preschool is more than 35 years old? It opened its doors for the first time in September 1969. There was, however, a pre-existing preschool, called “Mariemont Community Preschool”, which was not affiliated with the church, but was located on the second floor of the Parish Center. When a woman named JoAnne Williams, who was a church member and wife of the youth minister at Mariemont Community Church, tried to enroll her son, she was told that the preschool couldn’t take any more boys. JoAnne found this situation unacceptable. So she, June Cross (Weigleine) and several other moms opened their own preschool in the basement of the Parish Center and called it “Mariemont Community Church Preschool”, or MCCP. These pioneers started out with nothing, but with God’s (and their husbands’) help, they were able to create the preschool we know today.
This information was gathered on October 26, 2004 at a luncheon to honor former preschool directors. During the event, I was able to listen to their stories, ask questions and record historical facts about the preschool. Perhaps the most exciting thing I learned while talking with the directors is that the purpose of the Mariemont Community Church Preschool has not changed. It has and always will be a ministry to the children and their families in the community of Mariemont and surrounding areas. During our time together, we read the preschool charter, which was approved by the Elders on September 16, 2002. All of the women agreed that the current preschool charter could easily have been written and followed in 1969. It truly was a blessing for us all to know that the preschool has and will always be based upon God’s love and Christ-centered.
Even though the purpose of the preschool has not changed over the years, there have been many physical alterations and interesting developments. Before sharing this information with you, I would like to say that it has been a great honor and a wonderful experience collecting the information necessary to record the history of the Mariemont Community Church Preschool. A special thanks to the Mariemont Preservation Society, previous directors and Russell Parks (Warren Parks’ son) for helping to make this all possible. I truly hope you enjoy reading the articles as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Renee Roberts Director, MCCP
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