Meet the Plato’s – Their story will make you laugh, cry and want to know them as friends

I first met the Plato’s where I meet many people in my life, at church! When Jack and Lola Clark invited them to a Victory Baptist Church service. But it wasn’t until our chance meetings became several overlapping events that I truly began to call them friends. I knew they were not West Virginians, but I didn’t know for a long time that they’d moved completely across the country to be our neighbors. 

If you’ve watched the news and the current trends of liberalism, you’re likely aware that California has gone to the extreme in every way. The State Department of Justice released their annual report on California in August 2022 announcing that there were 2,361 homicides in the California last year, surpassing 2020’s figure by more than 150 deaths, according to the reports. While the number remains far below the historic high — 4,095 homicides in 1993 — last year was the deadliest year since 2007. Not a place many of us in the hills of West Virginia would desire to live. But that is exactly where Michael and Cheryl Plato lived until they decided between the crime and the cost of living it was their time to leave Temecula, California. Population 100,000 between Sandiego and Los Angelas.

How did you discover Calhoun County? That was my first question to them when we met at Tudor’s in Grantsville following Church on Sunday. They attend The Cornerstone Church on Southside where they’re active in the ministry and several community organizations. When they moved to Calhoun, they didn’t wait to be invited into organizations, they became active on their own. They’re my kind of people, you won’t feel like strangers very long when you’ve met them. 

In 2019 the couple began looking for “affordable living” after retirement. They could survive in California, but the cost of living was so high, they’d have little left over each month. Politics were not good, they’d both lost their jobs and Mike had gotten hurt. They began looking for places in the east; Cheryl was raised in North Carolina spending 25 years there, as her dad was in the military. She thought perhaps she’d go back there, but West Virginia kept drawing her in. It was then that Mike bought his wife a ticket to take a look around and see what West Virginia had to offer. 

Cheryl found a house of interest in Reevesville, in the Morgantown area. But it sold before she could get there. Other realtors in that area did not respond when contacted about potential homes. They’d put in an offer on a house and it wasn’t accepted, but they believed that God was drawing them to this place. When they discovered the Blaine and Greta Marks property on Pine Creek, they put in an offer, sight unseen and bought the house.

And now their adventure truly began! They moved into the house on Christmas Day 2019 after a 6 day excursion across the United States in two separate vehicles hauling all their belongings. Along the way they got separated from one another, all their money disappeared from the bank upon transferring from one bank to another and they had to stop in Colorado for two days to get it back. Even their dog doubted their decision when halfway across the country she refused to walk. Making them carry her wherever they went. When they finally made it to West Virginia, Mike got stuck in a ditch, but Cheryl didn’t know so she left him behind. Her GPS stopped receiving service, but she made it to the realtor’s office in Grantsville, however, it was the middle of the night and no one was there. Her final effort was to dial 911 and try to explain who she was and where she needed to be. 

The 911 dispatcher’s response was “Why the H- – – would you move here?” 

I have a feeling Cheryl wondered the same thing. 

But 911 dispatched an officer to her aid and led her to the house. Very quickly Cheryl added. She could barely keep up on the narrow winding roads. Meanwhile, Mike had gotten out of the ditch with some help and made it to their new home. Only to discover their new house had no water, electric or heat. Welcome home.

They spent the first two weeks driving to and from Parkersburg where they’d rented a hotel. Cheryl had learned a considerable amount about her new community from the Hur Herald, but that didn’t prepare her for country life. Their new home had a well, and a pump that had to be primed. In California you turned the faucet and you had water, it was simple. But nothing in West Virginia was simple. The gas could not be turned on because it wasn’t plumbed correctly, the electric needed redone, so they put in a generator and went out to buy a lawn mower. But covid hit and the country shut down… now what?

They learned about neighbors. In just a few days they’d met most of them and were impressed with the kindness. It was nothing like the 500 houses in their track of homes in California. There were plenty of adjustments to make between the narrow roads, lack of restaurants and an old house. But they’ve settled in nicely. 

I asked them what they missed most about California, to which they replied, “Family.” They have children in California, Texas and Oregon and one in Heaven, which is a part of their story that makes me want to love them more.

Their 27 year old daughter “Bipsy”, short for Elizabeth was murdered in 2009 by her fiancé. The day she died Cheryl was in the hospital having a procedure and Mike was ministering in the jail.   Mike said on Thursday he and Cheryl would go out to eat, so after her doctor’s appointment they went to a large mall to dine. They knew there was a police presence in the area, helicopters were flying over, but had no idea what was happening. The Sheriff called and said they needed to come home. When they arrived the police were already in their house, telling them “They needed to make sure no one else was hurt.” When the Sheriff had called, Cheryl told Mike, “Bipsy’s dead.” She felt it. She knew it. She did not know that in the lot outside the mall where they dined, the police had noticed a man in a van acting erratically. When they approached the van he pulled a knife up in the window. Their daughter had spent two days in captivity, was raped and now stabbed 39 times, by this nightmare of a man.

Their son, who’s a preacher, preached their daughter’s funeral. On Sundays, before her death Mike and Cheryl would host 20-30 kids at their house for a meal as a way of ministering and encouraging youth. Their daughter was loved by many and as a musician and singer had just recorded her first album. Following her death her friends held a concert in her memory and honor. Her life still touches people when Mike and Cheryl share her music CD and the testimony of her of life as a young Christian. 

Mike returned to the jail ministry to discover that in the pod next to where he ministered the Gospel, sat the man who killed their daughter, having received a life sentence. The inmates offered to “take care of him,” for Mike. They drew pictures of Bipsy and felt drawn in to her story. But Mike told them, that would be no way to react as a Christian. He continued to minister there until moving to West Virginia. 

Perhaps you’re wondering why I shared this tragic story?  The reason is simple. To help our community understand that when new people move into the area, we really don’t know their stories. Maybe they just want a fresh start, or maybe God placed them with us for a reason. Perhaps a little of both. 

When you meet Michael and Cheryl Plato you’ll not be sad. Because they share hope. They are kind and impassioned people for their new community. If you meet them, shake their hand and let them know you’re glad they’re here. I sure am…

Bipsy (Elizabeth) Amirian – Click the album art to hear Bipsy’s song titled ”Beautiful” on Spotify.