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On Jan. 1, 1956, Marjoe Gortner opened an 11-day series at the Quonset at First and State Street.

At the time, Gortner was the “world’s youngest evangelist” at 11 years old. Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner was ordained as a minister at the age of 4 at the request of his parents because of his unique speaking ability. His name, Marjoe, came from combining Mary and Joseph.

After Gortner graced Bowling Green with his preaching, he became a top-billed revivalist who allowed filmmakers to film the behind-the-scenes documentary about the lucrative lives of Pentecostal preachers.

– “Way Back When in Warren County” is compiled by researchers at the Warren County Public Library and appears twice weekly in the Bowling Green Daily News. For more information about the library, visit warrenpl.org.