BUCYRUS, Ohio — A series of crosses perched on the sides of roads, routes and highways are a familiar sight on American road trips across the country.
Many have been weathered over time.
A Bucyrus couple will dedicate a set of newly-restored crosses Sunday in Crawford County.
A few months ago, Deb Pinion was driving on Route 4 in Bucyrus when she believes she received a divine message.
“I’m not a deeply, deeply religious person but I was driving down here, coming home from the hospital and slowed down and all at once had a moment went through my head that said, ‘if you don’t save them they are gonna fall down,’ and that was directly from above, I think,” said Pinion, of Bucyrus.
Since May, Deb and her husband, Roger, have spent their time repairing the crosses just south of Bucyrus.
They also added lights so they could be more easily seen from the road.
“Deb and I went out there, out there by ourselves and straightened the crosses. I’m 75 and I had a handheld post hole digger and dug down at least three feet,” said Roger Pinion.
The crosses were constructed by the Reverend Bernard Coffindaffer of West Virginia in 1986. Coffindaffer paid more than $3 million to create and place more than 1,800 cross displays in 29 states and overseas.
“I remember this one specifically because of traveling Route 4 a lot, there were eight sets in Crawford County and only three sets remain now,” said Deb Pinion.
Members of the community are happy to see the crosses restored.
“I think it’s wonderful I think it’s got the community involved and you couldn’t have better people trying to do this,” said Judy Estes, a Bucyrus resident.
“Out in this big area in front we have 250 daffodil bulbs that I’m gonna ask people to bring a trowel, dig a 6-inch hole and put those bulbs in there so next spring it should be pretty colorful out here,” said Deb Pinion.
