June 12, 2012
06/13/12 A special dedication ceremony is scheduled on June 24, 2012 at Plymouth Sunrise Chapel immediately after the worship service for the newly-named Stockman Youth Center. The service will begin at 10:45 a.m. and the public is invited. A reception dinner will follow the service in the Youth Center. Sunrise Chapel is located at 11802 Lincoln Highway, Plymouth.
The facility is being named the Stockman Youth Center in honor of the family of long-time youth advocate and life-long Marshall County resident, Victor Stockman, who passed away on March 19 of this year. Mr. Stockman’s unwavering support and commitment to the building project was a primary factor in its completion. Years ago, the youth meeting facility was an old barn which was finally determined to be unsafe and was torn down during the time Mr. Stockman’s children were active in the youth group. To make certain the youth had a place to meet, Mr. Stockman announced that he and his wife Mary Lou would donate a large portion of the money necessary for a new building. A building committee was formed and consisted of Dennis Thornton, chairman; Mr. Stockman, vice-chairman; Chris Johnson, Dave Yoquelet, Kelly Erickson, Dirk Dodson, Todd Gardner, Jeremy Hutchinson, Jason Richey, David Berglin, and Rustin Krapfl.
Construction of the new facility was completed in 2007. The youth center includes a gym with a performance platform stage which includes audiovisual equipment and wall viewing screens; a kitchen and upstairs classrooms that can be divided for multiple uses such as a community meeting room. In addition to serving as a recreational and meeting center for the Sunrise youth, the Stockman Youth Center also will be available to rent for meetings, family reunions, dinners, anniversary and birthday parties, etc.
One of the founding members of Sunrise Chapel, Mr. Stockman was active in Sunrise activities for more than a half century. He was the vice-chairman of the Building Board for the original church building which was dedicated as Sunrise Chapel on land donated by his parents. The suggestion for the name, Sunrise Chapel, came from none other than Victor Stockman. Prior to that, the membership met in Jacoby Church and had assumed that name. In addition, Mr. Stockman went to Bethel College soon after the dedication to take classes in song leading, choir conducting and voice lessons. With that background, he took over the choir and remained as its leader for more than 25 years. Following that, he became Sunday School Superintendent.
Mr. Stockman has been part of a number of businesses since starting in refrigeration and appliance repair in 1947. Most recently, he owned and operated a coin-operated laundry as well as a vending business. In between, Mr. Stockman was involved with appliance sales, dry cleaning, trailer rental and sales, motor bike sales, custom carpet cleaning and numerous laundromats.