Hempfield
townlively.com
OCTOBER 20, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXVII • NO 29
Church Welcomes New Pastor In 1954, pastor Mark Chavez was baptized a month after his birth in Denver, Colo. His father, Arthur Chavez, was a devout Catholic whose parents had migrated from Spain to New Mexico. On the other hand, Mark’s mother, Viola, was a German
Brothers Gene Schopf (left) and Jim Schopf are the founders of Field of Screams.
Spooky Schopf Family BY COURTNEY MENGEL
rothers Gene and Jim Schopf grew up in Mountville and were raised on a farm by their parents, Ed and Annette. Following in their parents’ footsteps, Gene and Jim continued to grow and sell produce, founding Schopf Bros. Farms in 1984. They maintained the farm, even when they furthered their education at Millersville University to study secondary education. While there, Gene specialized in industrial technology, which he taught at Conestoga Valley High School, and Jim focused on mathematics, which he taught at Lampeter-Strasburg High School. Gene and Jim have always enjoyed all things frightening. “Scarily enough, it came naturally,” said Jim. “I blame my mom.” Growing
See New Pastor pg 3
Pastor Mark Chavez
It all started in 1993 with a Haunted Hayride in a field at Schopf Bros. Farms, hence the name Field of Screams. The Den of Darkness was added in 1995, the Frightmare Asylum opened in 2002, and Nocturnal Wasteland was finished in 2013. Jim handles the business side, and Gene oversees the construction. Field of Screams truly is a family affair. Gene’s wife, Sandy, is the admissions manager and their daughter, Kerri, is the pumpkin princess at Corn Cob Acres, which provides fun for kids who are not yet ready for Field of Screams. Their older son, Kyle, runs Corn Cob Acres, and their younger son, Tanner, works full time as the head of staff and actor services. Jim’s wife, Andrea, is a graphic design artist, their daughter, Sydney, handles the
Although its origins are unknown, trick-or-treating was established in American popular culture in the early to mid-1900s. In 1951, the act was depicted in the Peanuts comic strip. The following year, Disney released its first “Trick or Treat” cartoon, which featured Donald Duck and his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Many kids look forward to Halloween because it is the time for dressing up in a cool, creative costume and going
See Schopf Family pg 6
See Community Day pg 7
The Return Of Grace Church’s Community Day BY COURTNEY MENGEL
FALL FUN
ON THE
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Everyone Loves A Parade . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 House Of Worship . . . . . . .9 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Business Directory . . . . .12 Poll Workers Needed . . .12
FARM
Wagon Rides to Pick Your Own Pumpkin at Lancaster County’s Family Fun Farm COUNTRY BARN www.countrybarnmarket.com
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up, the brothers attended Youth for Christ’s Scream in the Dark event, where one of the leaders transformed his barn into a haunted house and at the end gave a message about attending youth group. They also listened to an LP of Disney’s “Haunted Mansion,” and their mom would play different roles and try to scare them. “She’s always had that way about her that she would play the role,” stated Jim. As a kid, Jim recalls having several bags of masks in the house. He and Gene would put the masks on, run around, and try to scare each other. “We didn’t have a TV, so maybe we were just entertaining ourselves,” explained Jim. The brothers were always looking for ways to help pay for college, and their childhood prepared them for their next move.
Lutheran. “Both were stubborn,” noted Mark. For the sake of the family, Arthur thought it was best to worship together, and knowing his wife wouldn’t budge, he asked his mother for her blessing to leave the Catholic church. According to Mark, Arthur’s mother was a devout Catholic. Growing up, Mark’s family spent every Sunday at his grandmother’s house. “There was a crucifix in every room in her huge house,” recalled Mark. Nevertheless, she gave Arthur her blessing. Mark was raised a Lutheran and eventually entered ordained ministry in the Lutheran church. In May of this year, he became the pastor at Reformation Lutheran Church, 2100 Manor Ridge Drive, Lancaster. However, he initially tried to avoid the call to ordained ministry by serving in the U.S. Air Force, which he joined in 1972. During his time in the Air Force, Mark was given a fellowship to study in Oxford, England. The only Lutheran congregation in Oxford consisted of a group of people who left Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Mark only attended church a few times.
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BY COURTNEY MENGEL