It started in 1972 with a Taylor student’s vision: a coffee shop that doubled as a basement ministry.
It was named Jacob’s Well. Located in the basement of a Christian bookstore called One Way Bookstore, the coffee shop was the brainchild of Bob Krumroy, a Taylor student in the class of 1972. With the help of several of his fellow classmates, they rolled up their sleeves and brought the Well to life.
Jacob’s Well was a coffee shop, yes, but it had a mission more important than serving cappuccinos or lattes. The Well was an intentional spot for Taylor students to meet in fellowship and share the gospel with those who had not yet met the Lord.
In fact, the Well was where many teenagers went just for a safe space.
And that is where Lydia Reidy came in.
At 15 years old, Reidy did not live in an ideal environment.
“I didn’t have a real good home life,” she said. “I had quit school, and I wasn’t even old enough to quit school. But there was no one around to make me go.”
Reidy’s situation led to her making poor decisions.
But in the midst of all of this, Reidy stumbled upon the place that would save her life.
Having heard about Jacob’s Well, she followed her curiosity and visited the shop, having no idea what it was. As soon as she entered, Reidy recounted that she was greeted by a girl with an incredible smile, asking Reidy if she knew Jesus.
After realizing the Well was a spot for ministry, Reidy was originally disappointed, but she sat through the night anyway. At first, it felt like something she had to sit through.
“But the more I listened, the more I liked it,” she said.
So a couple weeks later, she returned with a couple of her friends. 50 years later, she still remembers the lit-up, lively environment.
She still recalls the way she could feel God’s presence in the room. She still thinks of the Bible studies and the way so many Taylor students were witnessing to “kids off the streets,” as she said.
That second time Reidy went to the Well — that Thursday night in 1972 — was when she was approached by a Taylor student who set Reidy’s testimony into motion.
“That girl looked at me and said, ‘You know what? I think you really want Jesus in your life,’” Reidy said. “I said, ‘I think you’re right.’ And so, from the basement, we went upstairs to the bookstore, looking for a spot to pray.”
The bookstore was anything but ordinary: looking back on its history, it was once a clothing store. Dressing rooms-turned-prayer rooms were all throughout the store.
When Reidy and her new friend-in-Christ reached the second floor, they found that each prayer room in the store was filled by Taylor students praying with those yet to believe.
Every room.
“We ended up kneeling down between two tables in the front of the bookstore, and that’s when I got saved,” Reidy said. “That girl was Lonnie Blumenthal. Lonnie was the one who brought me to Jesus. And that is where it all started.”
Blumenthal played a large part in the creation of the Well. As a Taylor student herself, she was fully devoted to growing the kingdom.
To know someone came home to Jesus and that she played a part was overjoying, she said. Even with her role in bringing Reidy to Christ, Blumenthal points all of the glory back to God.
“To think that someone’s in the kingdom because God used me…” she said. “It was just the most thrilling moment I’d had in a long time of realizing God’s power and what He can do.”
With Reidy’s difficult home life, she needed another option. Blumenthal played a significant part in helping her, eventually leading her to the couple who would take her in for the next four-and-a-half years.
Anita Ellis and her now-late husband Jim Larcomb owned One Way Bookstore above Jacob’s Well. They fostered several children and teenagers, and they were more than happy to take Reidy in and care for her.
Both Ellis and Larcomb were teachers – Ellis an elementary school teacher, and Larcomb an English teacher. Up until the time she went to live with them, Reidy was still not attending school. So, the couple let her come live with them under one condition: she would go back to school.
Though Reidy was daunted by the idea of going back, Ellis and Larcomb believed in her and pushed her to succeed.
Reidy recalled her self-doubt and telling Ellis she would never make it.
“I remember Anita got up in front of me and said, ‘You will make it,’” Reidy said. “And then she and Jim prayed with me.”
And after four years, Reidy graduated in 1976. Throughout her time with Ellis and Larcomb, she was also tutored in math by Chris Braun, another one of the Taylor students heavily involved with the Well.
Reidy said that without all of them, she would not have graduated high school.
During the time she lived with Ellis and Larcomb, Ellis said that they essentially adopted her as their own child.
Ellis spoke highly of her and reflected on the years she spent raising Reidy from age 15 to 19.
“Dear, sweet Lydia,” Ellis said, choking up. “She is so kind and humble; she was always more of a blessing than anything.”
Reidy said that when Ellis and Larcomb invited her to live with them, God was watching over her. He took care of her.
They built her up, put their confidence in her and put a roof over her head, all while loving her in a godly way.
“They saved my life is what they did,” she said.
After working in a factory for 25 years, Reidy took a job in 2016 as a housekeeper at Taylor, working the nightshift from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.—a job she still holds today. Reidy said that working at Taylor is a blessing; an opportunity to give back to the same students who impacted her life so deeply.
In 2022, Taylor held the 50-year reunion for its class of 1972, which Blumenthal was a part of. The two old friends made plans to meet, and it was the first time they would see one another since 1979.
Blumenthal and Reidy both spoke of their excitement to see one another.
“I came up behind her and said, ‘Lydia!’” Blumenthal said, smiling. “And we just hugged, and it was so sweet. We had a wonderful conversation.”
After playing such a significant role in Reidy’s salvation, Blumenthal’s adoration for her is evident. And the same goes for Reidy – she sees Blumenthal as an instrumental part of her coming to faith. When she saw Blumenthal, she said her heart jumped up her throat.
The women’s impactful friendship is an illustration of fellowship with Jesus Christ. Blumenthal spoke of Reidy’s humility, saying that her words are always heartfelt and wrapped around Jesus.
Ellis also noted Reidy’s gentle yet hungry spirit.
“She’s just always had such a sweet spirit and always wanted to help others,” Ellis said. “We always thought so much of Lydia and still do.”
Reidy’s story testifies of a God who works, of a God who is present in all situations, of a God who provides.
Her story witnesses to the fact that God can take any situation and use it for good.
Finding Jacob’s Well and the community within its four walls began the remarkable story of Lydia Reidy’s life.
Though the Well no longer exists as a coffee shop, the building that it was located in is still standing in Hartford City; the walls hold years of rich history and abundant blessings.
Reidy’s life story was sparked by a vision – born from the heart of Taylor student Bob Krumroy – to establish a coffee shop that would overflow with God’s glory.
