Editor’s note: This is another installment in a monthly series of stories leading up to Marysville’s 200th birthday in August. Each story asks residents what makes Marysville special to them.
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John Connolly spent a few years living outside of Marysville, but he doesn’t intend to make that mistake again.
After graduating from Marysville High School in 1998, he left town to go to college and live in Dublin for four or five years.
But then he grew homesick.
“I missed that hometown feeling and knowing people and places,” he said. “It was a sign to move back to Marysville.”
He is the third generation of his family to work for Connolly Construction and a former employee of Scotts Miracle-Gro. He said he made the “conscious decision to live and work in Marysville.”
And he wants to make sure his children can have the same experience.
“I couldn’t be more proud of where I happen to be born and raised,” Connolly said. “I’m very optimistic about the prospect of living the rest of my life here and continuing to raise my children here.”
He’s raising his family in Marysville and enjoys being able to see his children participate in the community through soccer, cub scouts and softball.
“It’s really a privilege to be a part of the community and to live, work and play with all of those people,” he said.
Though he wasn’t around to see the start of the city, he said he enjoys telling stories to other people about Marysville’s history, including its German and Lutheran roots. He said those roots have left their marks on the city with churches like St. John’s and St. Paul’s.
“That was a big part of our beginnings,” Connolly said. “With that, some of the things that came with that are religious values, a (church going) community and work ethics. We still see those in the community today.”
He said some of the city’s strongest assets are the religious background and work ethic of its people, as well as the inclusivity of the community. He said the city is fortunate to have so many people eager to live and spend the rest of their lives here.
“We have a history of people working hard to make this a great place to live, work and worship in Marysville,” he said. “We’ve been lucky a lot of people decided to do all three of those things here still, and that’s really the strength of our community.”
Connolly said any community like Marysville’s can always be at risk of losing its identity. However, he said Marysville can avoid losing its positive values if the people can continue to make sure the city is “a good place not just to work, but a good place to live.”
Connolly said he and his family will do their parts to preserve the community by getting involved with church and being “more than just spectators in our children’s’ activities” through support and interaction with other parents.
“I think the best-case scenario is we get to know each other,” he said. “For everybody, it’s all about engaging with and getting to know each other. It’s as simple as making a conscious effort.”
He said the city’s government and other organizations are also doing their parts to “embrace a growth mindset” and welcoming new people while still serving the older residents.