Jerry and Jennylou Brock first moved to Marietta in 1964, after Jerry secured a job at a local law firm.
Several things attracted them to the area. The people at the firm were impressive, the hilly and tree-filled landscape was beautiful, and the community was especially friendly.
They began getting involved with local organizations such as the Betsey Mills Club, Lions Club, United Way, Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce, and First Presbyterian Church. Soon they started a family, which grew to include five children.
With the four boys, Jerry became highly involved in bringing soccer to the community. First working with the YMCA, then starting a local league, and eventually bringing it to Marietta High School. He served as the boy’s high school varsity coach for 14 years.
As time progressed, Jennylou got involved with the Greater Marietta Community Food Pantry, and Jerry with Marietta College and the Colony Theatre, now Peoples Bank Theatre.
All five of their children, Stacy, Stanton, Stewart, Seth, and Steven are artists. The only one with formal training was Stanton, but Steven makes a living doing metal sculptures and metal work in Prescott, Arizona. He did all of the metalwork in the Marietta Presbyterian Church memorial garden.
When Stanton passed away in 1996, Jerry and Jennylou felt it was important to help other artists pursue their education and promote the arts. Thus, the Stanton W. Brock Art Discovery Fund and Scholarship Fund were established.
“Stanton believed strongly in making art out of anything. Much of his art was created with recycled materials. He saw beauty in everything, and preached that we should not waste our resources,” said his parents.
“One time, he cleaned up the riverbanks and built a huge ball out of the Styrofoam he found. It was so large I couldn’t even get my arms around it. He entered it in the Caldwell County Fair and won first prize. To show just how much there was, he put the ball on the Muskingum River and let it float down for everyone to see. He really wanted to emphasize taking care of the planet and avoid becoming a throw-away world.”
In addition to forming the funds in memory of Stanton, Jerry and Jennylou established their legacies by creating the Jerry and Jennylou Brock Fund for the Homeless, Hungry, and Needy and joining Marietta Community Foundation’s 1788 Legacy Society.
Recently Marietta Community Foundation published several stories of local families and organizations in the 2021 Annual Report: Inspiring Community. Each of these families has a unique background and perspective, but they all share an inspiring love for our community.