Warwick citizens and businesses lend their hands to pastor's family

Warwick - The citizens and business owners who serve this community have a long tradition of helping people in times of need. Last August, Ralph and Cathy Lane, then living with their four children in the Sullivan County community of Rock Hill, were both killed in a motorcycle accident. Ralph Lane was the brother of Elizabeth Yount, who is married to Rev. Chris Yount, pastor of Warwick’s United Methodist Church. After the accident, the oldest of the Lane’s four children, a 19-year-old son, elected to remain in his hometown area and live with his grandmother. A younger daughter, to whom Ralph Lane had been stepfather, decided to live with her father. Yount and his wife Elizabeth live next to the church in a modest size parsonage. Although they have two sons, ages 17 and 12, and an older daughter away at school, they immediately offered to take in the Lane’s two sons, ages six and 16. “I’m now the legal guardian of these two boys and they are doing well at school,” said Yount. “The boys are a blessing to us. We will raise them to honor their parents.” He explained that the boys were comfortable living with their cousins because they lived nearby and grew up together. “Both families usually celebrated holidays and other occasions here. They were always part of our family.” Housing four boys, however, presented a small problem. “We needed to free up some space,” said Yount. “So I called Danny Gibson, a local contractor who had done some work for the church.” Since the parsonage, which is owned by the church, already had an attached garage that could be used for additional space, the plan was to build a new detached garage nearby. “When I heard why the Pastor was doing this,” said Gibson, “I started making phone calls.” Gibson spread the word with other local contractors and suppliers. In a short time he had enlisted a number of them who were willing to work without compensation, donate materials or provide supplies at cost. In addition, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Goodwill Hook and Ladder Company stepped forward with a generous donation. Rev. Yount serves as Chaplain for the Warwick Fire Department. Besides Gibson, contributors to the garage construction project include Bradco Supply, Colonial Drywall, Frank Corkum Plumbing & Heating, Drop-A-Box, Dutchess Quarry Stone, Chris Daly Electric, Frame to Finish, MTL Builders, Kuiken Brothers Lumber, Roe Brothers Lumber, Round Tower Masonry, MH Tankco Excavation and Von Esson Construction. “I thank Danny Gibson for his extraordinary efforts to help us with this project,” said Yount. “And we are grateful to everyone else who contributed so generously. This is a wonderful community and we are blessed to be part of it.”