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About OPRS: Our History
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The essence of Ohio Presbyterian
Retirement Services (OPRS) is its
spirit, nurtured through more than 80
years of history. Our story begins with
a life cut short – the death of young
Dorothy Love in 1921. From this loss, a
tradition of caring and quality services
was born, and continues to flourish
through creativity, innovation and
expansion.
 Dorothy
Love, the 7-year-old daughter of the
Reverend and Mrs. Wilbert Blake Love of
Sidney, died after being struck by a car
a half-block from her home. Mr. Love’s
entire congregation was shocked and
saddened, but the news fell especially
hard on Moses Russell, a ruling elder
and close friend of the Love family.
Grief-stricken by the girl’s death,
Russell and his two sisters, Martha and
Elizabeth, donated a 294-acre tract of
farmland in Dorothy’s honor. This early
location would become today’s scenic
Dorothy Love Retirement Community.
Originally, the Synod of Ohio owned the
earliest communities, which were
supported solely by contributions from
Presbyterian churches. In 1973, Ohio
Presbyterian Homes (OPH) reincorporated
as a non-profit, interdenominational
corporation, and in 1981, the Articles
of Incorporation were revised to remove
any control or liability of OPH from the
Ohio Synod or United Presbyterian Church
of the USA.
The name of the corporation was
officially changed in 1986 from Ohio
Presbyterian Homes to Ohio Presbyterian
Retirement Services. In addition, the
OPRS Foundation was formed to handle the
fundraising and investment activities in
support of OPRS.
In 2001, a new umbrella structure –
Midwest Presbyterian Senior Services –
was created. OPRS and the OPRS
Foundation are both part of this larger
family.
OPRS remains a mission of the Synod of
the Covenant of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) and maintains a covenant
agreement with the Synod. OPRS retained
Presbyterian in its name to honor its
historic roots and continue its
Christian orientation with an emphasis
on love and special care for individual
residents. We are an ecumenical
organization and serve people from
numerous faith backgrounds. OPRS
respects and welcomes diversity of
spiritual expression.
In recent years OPRS has witnessed an
increased demand for quality care for
older adults. How we meet this demand,
along with the many other challenges the
future holds, is the next chapter of the
OPRS story, one that is certain to
continue for generations.
Learn about Our
Board Leadership
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