Charles and Florence Kirby started their family in 1926. Three generations and 21 Cedarville graduates later, their descendants gave back with an endowed scholarship. Verne Kirby ’55 was the first Kirby to arrive at Cedarville in 1953, the same year Baptist Bible Institute relocated and became the new Cedarville College. He graduated two years later and began a career as a church planter for Baptist Mid-Missions serving in locations from Kentucky to Alaska to Hawaii. Many family members followed — Verne’s kids and grandkids, his brother Stanley’s kids and grandkids — until the most recent one graduated in 2012. None of them have accumulated great wealth, but they are rich in the best kind of way: the Kirby family combined has contributed almost $90,000 of God’s blessings to start a unique endowed scholarship. "Your faith has to enter in and trust the Lord that He knows what He's doing,” Verne said. “We try to help in any way we can.” Nineteen branches of the Kirby family, representing 21 Cedarville alums, have funded the annual Charles and Florence Kirby Family Scholarship, named in honor of Verne and Stanley’s parents. The scholarship will award about $3,750 annually to a student based on need. The only requirement is that the sophomore, junior, or senior, regardless of GPA, is a hard worker. Stanley, the older of the two brothers, and his sons, Linden ’74 and Mark ’80, saw the potential of what could be accomplished with an endowed scholarship. "When I realized how many of our family had connections to Cedarville,” Linden said, “I said, ‘We have to do something, and we have to do something that involves everyone or gives everybody the opportunity.’” PROSPECT-TO-CEDARVILLE PIPELINE Charles and Florence raised Stanley and Verne in Prospect, Ohio, a town of 1,000 people a little north of Columbus. The town, at least when Mark grew up there, was known for its Fourth of July celebration, Abe’s Tastee Freez, and countless happy memories for Kirby kids. Verne wanted to stay in Prospect and raise his family on a farm. But God had a different plan. A missionary visited his church and got him thinking about Bible college. Verne’s travels began. After two years at Piedmont Bible College in North Carolina, Verne and his wife, Helen ’69, arrived in Cedarville. Verne graduated with a theology degree and began his missionary career. BY J EFF G I LBERT ’ 87 WITH 21 CEDARVILLE ALUMNI, THIS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP RECEIVED BROAD FAMILY SUPPORT EVERYONE ON BOARD None of them have accumulated great wealth, but they are rich in the best kind of way. 12 | Cedarville Magazine
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