Covenant News

Cromwell Children's Home Celebrates 100th Anniversary

CROMWELL, CT (August 14, 2000) - Children's Home of Cromwell (CHOC) celebrated its 100th anniversary recently with 350 people participating, including alumni, former staff and board members and Stanley Henderson, vice president of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Robert Dvorak, superintendent of the East Coast Conference, spoke during the morning worship service at Congregational Covenant in Cromwell. "There were many tears, but they were tears of joy as they went down memory lane," said CHOC president and chief executive officer David Carlson. "It was just awesome."

CHOC representatives spent more than a year preparing for the event, scouring the country looking for alumni to invite. They showed up in droves, Carlson reported, including the oldest returning resident, Carl Frederickson, who lived at CHOC from 1923-27. Also attending was George Brandt, who spent his teenage years at Cromwell from 1932-40.

Henderson presented CHOC with a plaque from the ECC in recognition of this milestone. Another presentation came from Jim Broman, whose father, Joseph, was a former superintendent of the Children's Home.

Resolutions were presented from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives acknowledging the centennial and commending the Children's Home for its work. Also honored by the House and Senate was former CHOC resident John Russell "Red" Bergandahl, who grew up in CHOC and died in the invasion of Normandy in 1944.

Children's Home of Cromwell was dedicated and opened May 30, 1900, by the Swedish Evangelical Covenant Church with room for 30 children. Today it serves a total of 71 children in residence and another 41 children in special education day classes with a staff of 150. CHOC became affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church's Covenant Ministries of Benevolence in June.

For more information on CHOC, contact Carlson by telephone at 860-635-6010 or visit the ECC web site at www.covchurch.org under the Institutions link.

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