One winter day in 1972, the school nurse at Rosedale was working diligently at her desk when the quietness was shattered by an explosion of commotion. Doors opened and slammed shut as one male student was in hot pursuit of a prankster who had just snitched his briefcase. The nurse glanced up as the pair dashed through her office and thought, "Good grief, Rosedale could do without that!" It was not an auspicious first impression.

Doris applied to go to Rosedale as school nurse with the encouragement of her sister, Louise. She wanted the spiritual input, but after the intensity of four years of college, she was not eager for more academic pressure. As school nurse she cared for the health needs of students and faculty and was also able to audit as many classes as she wished. She had the best of two worlds.

Ed went to Rosedale with two goals in mind: he hoped to find a Christian wife, and he wanted to get a good spiritual foundation. Little did he know that in that mad dash through the nurse's office as the prankster, he had just met his future wife!

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Doris was born to Perry and Elizabeth Showalter of Waynesboro, Virginia. Baby Doris came along five years behind her next oldest sibling. Her oldest sister tells her that after Doris was born at home, her dad came out of the bedroom smiling broadly, visibly very pleased that this ninth child was daughter number six. Doris says, "We had a very strict home and worked hard, but there was never any question that we were greatly loved. We knew we were all wanted, and we felt secure."

Her folks had a small, old-fashioned family farm. They raised a little bit of everything—cows, pigs, chickens, apple orchard, small grains, hay and large gardens. Each Saturday morning they packed the truck with produce and baked goods and went to the local market at Waynesboro to sell their wares. That meant hard, tedious work during the week, and the children were expected to help scrub vegetables, churn butter, and gather eggs.

Vacations were unheard; when they did travel, it was to Michigan to see her oldest married sister. Doris recalls how her parents packed all eight children plus food (stopping at a restaurant was not an option) and suitcases in the 1950 Buick Roadmaster, a two-seater car. "Daddy and the three boys would sit in front and Mama and the five girls sat in the back. One time we got caught in a snow storm and traveled 31 hours straight. We didn’t fuss or fight—we knew better!"

Doris attended the three-room Augusta Mennonite School for grades 1-7. Her sister Ruth was her teacher for three of those years. Doris says, "Christian education was a high priority for my parents, and my father was willing to borrow thousands of dollars to make it possible for all nine of us to attend EMHS. We were expected to work hard and to do our best. I remember how much it meant to me to have my father attend my high school graduation to hear my speech as valedictorian, even though he was in much pain from severe injuries suffered in a tractor accident. Eight of us went on to graduate from EMC, and in 1971 I received a B.S. Degree in Nursing."

As a young child of about seven, Doris accepted the Lord at evangelistic meetings held by Myron Augsberger. She remembers struggling with the assurance of salvation during her teen years. "The teaching I received at the Basic Youth Seminar finally settled that issue, and at Rosedale the "faith of my Fathers" really became my own."

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Ed was born to Arthur and Phoebe Ranck, dairy farmers in Lancaster County, PA. He has an older brother, Ken, and a younger sister, Janis. In 1966 when he was thirteen, they moved way down south to rural Powhatan. It was a difficult adjustment for this young teenager. He transferred from a new school with 1200 students to a school where the senior class members, and he got homesick for the friends, church and community he had left behind. Powhatan Church was in its first year as a church with a building. He remembers coming down for the dedication in 1965 and states, "Although I wasn’t here for the very beginning, I have experienced most of the history of this church." He accepted the Lord just before they moved to Virginia, and he and Linda Powell were the first baptized members of PMC.

He loved to ride his bike and mastered the unicycle, sometimes riding with Janis, who sat on his shoulders and placed her feet in his hands. Ed also loved to read and devoured books, including series like the Hardy Boys, Sugar Creek Gang, and Old Mother West Wind.

The day before his 13th birthday, he broke his arm when he tangled with a live PTO shaft on the tractor. The accident was especially traumatic as the family was planning a trip to Niagara Falls. Ed says, " We never did get to take that trip. I finally made it to Niagara after Doris and I were married."

Ed attended EMHS in his senior year. He says, "I made lots of friends and had a good time, but it was a year of missed opportunity. I did run track, and being part of that team was a very good experience for me." After high school he came back home and worked for two years on the farm and volunteered for the local fire department and rescue squad. But Ed was restless. He says, "Although I wasn’t as serious as I should have been, I had a very sensitive conscience from a young age. I knew my life was at a crossroads, and if I was going to get on the right track, I needed to go to Rosedale."

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At Rosedale, in spite of first impressions, Ed and Doris discovered some common interests. They enjoyed "talking shop" about medical topics. Doris enjoyed Ed’s playfulness, and Ed found Doris to be an "older sister" confidante. By the end of the second year at Rosedale, they realized their casual friendship had developed into something very special. They started dating March 1, 1974, and were married November 2 the same year. With a chuckle Ed says, "I figured up that while we were dating that I had spent a total of $7.50 until I asked her to marry me! However, being on campus, there were a lot of activities we could do together and we had a lot of fun." For their honeymoon, Ed took his bride to Harpers Ferry and then on to PA where he introduced her to his roots.

Brauer Lane, Powhatan, has been home to the Rancks where Ed worked for his dad on the farm until he took over the business in 1991. Even though the Rancks are tied down in farming, they have a deep and clear calling to service. Several times they went back to Rosedale for short-term studies, and God began to solidify a vision of ministry for both Ed and Doris. In 1980 they went to Atmore, Alabama, under New Life Foundation, where they were house parents to a fledging VS unit, and Ed worked as assistant chaplain in the men’s prison. This was a great year, and Ed’s teaching abilities began to blossom as he taught and interacted with the inmates.

For a number of years, Ed and Doris walked through the valley of infertility. They remember well when Stan Shirk was at Powhatan for meetings, and they asked for anointing. This was a precious time for them as felt they had "touched the throne of God" and were able to release their desire for a family to the Lord. They felt deep in their hearts that God would choose their children for them ; their children would be hand-picked, not homegrown.

After returning from Voluntary Service, they felt released to pursue adoption, and within six months tiny Jon Michael entered their home. Almost four years later another call came, and God blessed their home with Brian. Adoption has been a wonderful experience for them, and they gratefully and humbly acknowledge that God does, indeed, do all things well.

The Rancks have been active in many ways in our church and community. Church is a high priority in their life, whether it is teaching Sunday School, serving as youth leaders, or working on a committee. Ed has served as Boys Club leader, trustee and elder. They were instrumental in starting PMCS and served as School Administrator, School Board Chairman and teacher. Doris has felt a special call and delight in ministering to women, whether it’s teaching Sunday School, speaking at women’s retreats, counseling or hosting a "women only" slumber party.

Ed and Doris testify that so many people have ministered to them, and it is their desire to be "good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (I Peter 4:10) so "that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18) .

By Pat Hertzler