“It’s going to be tough,” she said. “The church always has meant everything to me. I would hate to think that it wouldn’t be rebuilt.”
Then she sounded like a preacher’s wife: “Of course, we all know the building isn’t the church.”
Right now, the building at 3300 Tytus Avenue barely resembles a church after it was severely damaged last week allegedly by a teenage arsonist. Crockett can only imagine her late husband’s reaction to the fire. They raised their three children in the church, and later dedicated their grandchildren there.
Her husband, who pastored Tytus Avenue First Church of God at both of its Tytus Avenue locations from 1971 to 1996, died April 1, 2016, at Hospice of Butler and Warren Counties. He was 87.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” she said what she thought of the fire that ironically occurred on the 33rd anniversary of the ribbon-cutting. “I said to myself, ‘I’m glad my husband is not here.’ He’d probably have a heart attack.”
Crockett, 86, said while the fire damaged the church, the manner in which it allegedly was set, was more disturbing. A 16-year-old Middletown boy, who allegedly bragged about setting the fire to his friends, was arrested 15 hours after the fire started and was charged with arson, breaking and entering, and felony theft for his role in the fire.
He allegedly broke into the church about 2:30 a.m. Jan. 22, stole $1,000, then set the church on fire. Damage estimates of $450,000 are expected to rise.
The teen, a Middletown High School student, remains in the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center, according to documents. The boy will return to the court for a pre-trial hearing next month, court records show.
“To think that a young would have that much hate or whatever in his heart,” Crockett said.
Crockett said a church secretary notified her about the fire and told her services were moved to the gymnasium at Poasttown Church of God. She didn’t attend church that day because she was concerned about parking since she uses a cane.
Her husband came to Middletown in 1971 from Virginia and worked at the church just down the street on Tytus Avenue. After outgrowing that location, property at 3300 Tytus Avenue was purchased in 1983. He was ordained in 1953 and ministered in 13 states. He later retired from Carlisle Church of God.
“I’ll tell you, church was his life,” she said while sitting in her Middletown home. “If he was called out in the wee hours of the morning, he went. One night I remember he was getting his pajamas on to go to bed, and somebody called. He got dressed and then he went. He lived, slept and ate it, yes he did.”
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