From its humble beginnings as a rail station, St. John, Kentucky, took its name from the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, built in 1812 and still active today. It was here that Debbie Heuser’s family owned a small country store and operated the local post office.
Her dad’s family of four boys and five girls were farmers. Along the country road that connects the church to the post office, there were several residences belonging to her mother’s family on one side, while on the opposite side could be found several homes of her father’s family.
“St. John was a tight-knit community. The church, country store, and post office were the focal points of rural life. Everyone knew everyone and everyone’s business,” Debbie recalls fondly the stories of family and community life her parents shared with her.
“I learned so much from my parents and family. Especially my dad. We were remarkably close. He was very kind, and he believed in family. He had a great sense of humor. He looked out for me,” Debbie remembers.
The Heusers moved to Louisville in the 1940s. Debbie was born in Louisville and grew up near Audubon Park, attended Catholic schools, and earned her teaching degrees from Bellarmine University. She later worked at Bellarmine as an adjunct professor, supervising and preparing student teachers for the classroom.
Along the way, Debbie had two daughters. From the time the girls were in grade school, Debbie raised them by herself. “It was just my two girls and me. We made a great team,” Debbie laughs. “I couldn’t have asked for two better daughters.” Emily and Amy live here in Louisville, and Emily is married to John Magrum and they have two children, Luke and Maddie.
After her career was winding down at Bellarmine, Debbie received a call from Marty Polio, who at that time was principal of Jeffersontown High School. “Marty asked if I would come work for the school in Special Education. I implemented the program, maintained federal compliance, and made sure we were on target and making progress. I loved being in the school setting. It was a great fit for a second career.”
Soon her girls were grown and on their own, and Debbie retired for a second time. “You know I always worked, raised the girls, and those were my passions, my hobbies. Oh, I did play golf for a time and even ran a 5K. I was ready to begin a new journey about the time the COVID pandemic began.”
So, Debbie began a new routine, one that would take her in yet another new direction. When Andy Beshear started giving the State of Kentucky COVID pandemic reports every afternoon at 4:00, Debbie was right there in front of her TV listening to every word.
Debbie remembered, “He was sincere and genuine and that impressed me. I was so taken by this young man. He loved Kentucky and he loved people. He even mentioned his faith that was guiding him through these challenging times, so I Googled the Governor and noticed that he was a member at Beargrass.”
While browsing the church website, I noticed that services were streamed online and started watching. Trey’s messages were genuine and meaningful, quite different from the Catholic Church services I grew up with. His words resonated with me during a time when I was seeking a new direction.
Before long, Debbie made her way to the Farmer’s Market one Saturday where she met Mary June Forsythe at the welcome tent. We talked, and Mary June invited me to come and attend a Sunday night service in the Chapel.
“That is how I started coming to Beargrass. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. All of it just made so much more sense to me, and it was not long before I began coming on Sunday morning for church and soon thereafter the Agape Sunday School class.”
Debbie laughs, “I mean I was all in. I did the Read Your Bible in a Year program, Furlong Bible Study on Thursday nights, Bob Sutton’s Bible Study on Wednesday, and the various women’s groups and book clubs. As it turned out, Beargrass has been exactly what I needed.”
Looking back, the sense of family at Beargrass is not lost on Debbie. “When I was growing up, my family was committed to each other and the community. I’ve found that to be true here at Beargrass as well. I just love it here.”
Speaking about family, Debbie recounts that it was her dad’s brother who started what is now known as the Franciscan Kitchen. In 1951, Br. Jim Fields joined the Conventual Franciscan Friars. After several assignments, he moved to St. Anthony Friary in Louisville, Kentucky. He began to construct a plan to feed the hungry and homeless in the area.
He opened the Franciscan Shelter House in January 1980, serving only seven meals that first day. Today it is not unusual to find more than 100 volunteers serving an average of over 400 meals each day. Several volunteers are from Beargrass.
This is the journey that Debbie has travelled. A life of accomplishment, a successful career, raising two beautiful daughters and you might even say a leap “in” faith from her Catholic upbringing into the Disciples fold.
Debbie’s story and journey no doubt resonate with many of us. Taking the verse form the song, “our roads may be long with many a winding turn…” her early upbringing and the strong values and faith she learned as a child, were with her every step of the way.
Debbie noted that it is not all that far from the small hamlet of St. John in Hardin County to Beargrass Christian Church. “I grew up believing in the same values we hold dear here at Beargrass. It just took an epidemic and the soft-spoken calm of our Governor to get me here.” Not to mention her remarkable strength of character and the seasoned charm and wisdom of a life well lived.
We Are One Together is a new monthly news feature by and about church members that celebrates the beautiful, diverse stories that make up our Beargrass family.
If you would like to be featured in an upcoming edition of We Are One Together or would like to recommend one of our members to be included please contact Bob Morris at 270-316-1267 or by email at bm*********@***oo.com.