An ordinary Christian couple made an extraordinary difference. A new memorial pays tribute.
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle
BELLVUE, Colo. — A blind farmer.
A motorcycle-riding nurse.
The story of the late Bob and Helen Bland is as ordinary as it is extraordinary, right down to their last name.
Yet on a blue-sky Sunday afternoon, a crowd of friends, family and fellow Christians gathered amid 100-foot cottonwood trees with a slight whiff of nature in the breeze to celebrate the couple’s legacy.
About 70 people came to the Morning Fresh Dairy off U.S. Highway 287 in northern Colorado — near the front range of the Rocky Mountains — to dedicate a special memorial in the Blands’ honor.
Just over a hill from the dairy, Bob and Helen bought a little farm in 1961 and relocated their young family to a tranquil haven known as Pleasant Valley.
Two years earlier, Bob lost sight in both eyes as a result of congenital cataracts. Overnight, Helen became the primary breadwinner.
But the Christian couple refused to let his blindness tear the family apart. Instead, Bob and Helen drew closer together — and found ways to serve their community and church.
This story appears in the online edition of The Christian Chronicle.
Photo provided by Dave Bland
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 