by Barbara Ellington  

Talking with Cathy Brockett Morgan about her experiences at the Hill Country Youth Ranch back in the mid 1980s is like talking with an old friend. I reached her by telephone early one Saturday morning at her Houston home for an interview. Years melted away as she recalled her experiences here as a teenager and the words flowed easily and joyfully. I could listen for hours because Cathy’s memories of the Ranch are of belonging, and of happy fun-filled days that have been an inspiration to her and have been reflected in her life ever since.

"Oh, I’d love to talk to you about the Ranch," she said without hesitation, and it was evident from that moment on that this young woman had been as much an influence on the staff at HCYR as they were on her.

"Gary used to call me a ray of sunshine", she boasts proudly. Even though Cathy was here for just two years, the Youth Ranch filled a major void in her life. The staff and children that were here at the time left their mark on this young girl who has grown into a lovely young woman with a fabulous career and a wonderful son and baby girl.

Currently, Cathy can boast of being the Executive Secretary to the Vice-President of Distribution for Foley’s Department Stores based in Houston, Texas. In October, she will celebrate 7 years with a company she is proud to be a part of. She lives in Channelview, Texas (outside of Houston), a hard-working mom with a son,  Nikolas, and a daughter, Katie.

But it wasn’t so clear that Cathy would find success when she was a teenager. Life had given her a bitter pill to swallow and in 1986, at the impressionable age of 15, she found herself searching for a home and a new family. She indicated she knew it would be the Youth Ranch as soon as she visited here.

"I’d been to two or three other youth homes and they were awful," Cathy recalled. "I saw things I couldn’t believe I was seeing — like something out of a bad movie — and then I spent the weekend at the Youth Ranch. That was it for me!"

The love and peaceful surroundings that Cathy found at the Ranch, plus her love for the outdoors, convinced her this was the place for her.

However, there was one big problem. The state was experiencing a financial crisis and would not be able to pay for Cathy to live at HCYR. Her dream of finally finding a place where she could lay her head down in peace and safety at night might not be able to happen after all. Was life once again to be cruel to Cathy? She couldn’t give up without a try.

Cathy decided to meet and plead her case with HCYR founder and Director, Gary Priour.

"I remember the exact moment I met Gary," Cathy said. "He walked into the room and I stood up to meet him and shake his hand. I knew he would listen. After we talked, Gary promised me he would do whatever it took to keep me there, and he never broke his promise."

Cathy was able to stay, go to school and get an education, and finally to embark on a life of her own. To this day, Cathy states that she doesn’t know how Gary and HCYR did it, but she will be eternally grateful.*

"I owe a lot to the Ranch," Cathy graciously admits. "I return every year to visit whenever I can. I’ve even taken my son, Nikolas, and told him Mommy lived here once. I want him to grow up and understand what went on in my life, and that the Ranch is a good place and this was a good thing in Mommy’s life. I have nothing but good memories of HCYR."

With so many wonderful memories to choose from, Cathy still didn’t have any trouble selecting the one thing that stood out in her mind about the Hill Country Youth Ranch.

"The security . . . I remember the security most of all," Cathy says. That is a feeling most of us take for granted, but one that is mentioned time and time again by the Youth Ranchers who have left us.

Cathy is very proud of the life she has built for herself with a successful career and being a devoted mother. She seems to balance the two just fine.

She is also very proud of the time she spent here at HCYR, and like so many other children that have passed through our portals (700 girls and boys to date), the years beyond those they spend with us perhaps help them reflect on the blessings as well as the hardships of youth.

The Youth Ranch strives to bring every child who comes our way love and encouragement in a Christian atmosphere of faith and hope. But it takes a response from the child of courage and perseverance if the gift is to take root and mature. Sometimes, it is only after children leave us that the opportunity becomes appreciated.

With Cathy, gratitude for life’s blessings was present from day one. That made her a special gift to us and the other children. Cathy tries to tell the children who are with us today what to cherish . . .

"Be grateful for what you have at the Ranch. I know it’s tough to understand what you have now, but life on the streets is very difficult and is no way to live. Someday when you are an adult, you’ll understand. At the Ranch, there is so much love, so much to learn, so much to explore. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by. The Ranch is a good, positive place to be. I know. I’ll never forget it."

*Editor’s Note: Because of our generous contributors, we are able to create scholarships so children like Cathy, with little or no financial backing, can live at HCYR. – Gary Priour