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The story sounds a lot like the tales of the pioneers: - They loaded up their belongings in New Hampshire and headed out west – without a definite destination in mind. In this case they were seeking a life for their children without the severe allergies of east coast living. Somewhere along the trail, a helpful wayfarer suggested Prescott as a “mighty nice town”, and after a couple of months in a campground there, they were introduced to the little town of Wickenburg. This is the story of Bill and Brenda Cowles.

Since their arrival in Wickenburg in 1976, the Cowles family has upheld the standard of what life in Wickenburg can and should be. Bill and Brenda raised three children here, Chip, Tyler, and Leah, all active participants in the Saddle Club, 4-H, and Wickenburg athletics. All three swore they would escape the small town of their youth, but Tyler and Leah returned to the community after attending college at NAU, and are now married and raising families of their own here. “We had big ambitions of living in some far off exotic place, but when it came down to it, we wanted our kids to have the benefit of knowing their grandparents – that’s something we never really got to do as kids.” Chip is now serving as Campus Ministries Director for Campus Crusade for Christ in England. He and his wife, Diane, have two daughters Gabriella (6) and Daniella (4). Tyler serves as Operations Manager for the Ranch and he and his wife, Jennifer, have headed up Young Life activities in Wickenburg. They have two children Seth (3+) and Morgan(1). Leah is also a manager at the Ranch and her husband, Kevin, does marketing and public relations for what is indeed a family business. They have two sons, Aaron (3+) and Benjamin (15mos). According to Kevin, “The residents love to see the family in action. They get a big kick out of it when a 3 year old brings the dinner rolls to their table!”

“I was doing private duty nursing at the time, and we got started by renting out a room in our own home, and things kept building from there.” Brenda is a registered nurse (RN) and has served on various local health care committees and boards, and Bill has served the town in numerous capacities, most recently on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Perhaps the greatest contribution the Cowles family has made to our community is in providing a means for seniors - our parents, grandparents, and neighbors - to preserve an element of life which has become so much a part of them - life out Wickenburg Way. They have done so by developing a selection of 30 independent apartments and 20 assisted living units which can help provide a seamless transition from a private residence while maintaining an individual's dignity and preserving deep Wickenburg connections. The Ranch offers the personal care of a family owned and operated enterprise and stands out in our community as a reminder of the significant contribution the Cowles family has made toward maintaining the quality of life that everyone wants in Wickenburg.

This week the Cowles family has good reason to celebrate their accomplishments as My Fathers Retirement Ranch celebrates a 25 years of serving the people of Wickenburg. Although the Ranch has put on barbeque bashes for the residents and their invited guests for the past 16 years, this will be no ordinary party. “We wanted to open this event up to the town as a way to say thanks to all the people who have helped us care for our residents over the past 25 years.”

The public is invited to join in the festivities at the Ranch on October 23 from 10am-2pm. More information and directions are available on the web at myfathersretirementranch.com.