A large field of sunflowers has grown across the Mississippi River, offering beautiful views for visitors who have a Columbia man and his wife to thank.

Marian’s Place is a plot of land surrounded by Cliff Cave Park, a St. Louis County Park that’s just a short drive across the Jefferson Barracks Bridge.

Currently, it appears to be a rather humble locale, featuring a large pavilion, plenty of native wildlife to view and for the moment, a field of sunflowers stretching into the distance.

Marian’s Place is the creation of Tom Rollins and his wife Marian, who hope to develop this park as a place for folks to take care of their health, experience nature and feel a sense of community.

The Rollins have been residents of Columbia for 33 years – though as Tom described it, they’re still kind of considered “the new people on the hill.”

The two have been married over 60 years, having started dating back in his junior year of high school.

Tom joined the Marine Corps to serve in Vietnam, eventually returning to his home in Jefferson County, Missouri, before moving to Monroe County.

His career over the years largely revolved around Jefferson Barracks Marine Service, a barge fleeting and switching service company he owned alongside business partner George Foster.

It was their work that prompted an interest in the land along the river which ultimately set the stage for Marian’s Place to develop.

As Tom recalled, he and Foster took great interest in the flooding issues at Cliff Cave largely because of the Flood of 1993.

The two pushed to address this issue by raising a substantial amount of the land.

“It took us about three years to do it, and we had to get Corps of Engineers permits, we had to work out a deal with the county, but the end result is that the property was raised out of the 500-year flood plain, and George and I donated in excess of 300 acres,” Tom said. “We then built a trail on our property that was five miles long… We have a history of contributing to St. Louis County parks.”

Of his acreage in the area, Tom has set aside 50 acres to develop as a wellness and community center now known as Marian’s Place.

Tom’s hopes for the space involve three core tenets – ways he hopes visitors can benefit from spending time there.

“Those are the three pillars: nature, health and community,” Tom said. “That’s what I want to try to bring together. And the reason I’m doing this is because I want to try and get people outside, enveloped in nature. I want to try to give them an area where they can get healthier in both their walking and exercise.”

Tom has big plans for the space, even beyond the gorgeous piece of land it currently is. He hopes to have an array of weather-resistant athletic equipment within the space for folks to come out and enjoy the sights of surrounding plants and the nearby river.

Accessibility is also a key concern for Tom, who stressed he wants the space and all its amenities to be wheelchair accessible.

A big part of Tom’s vision for this space is to serve as a physical therapy destination for those suffering from a variety of conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and other physical and mental illnesses.

Of course, his wife and the namesake of the space, is his biggest reason.

“I wouldn’t be doing this probably if it wasn’t for the diagnosis that my wife received Nov. 10, 2017,” Tom said. “She was diagnosed with dementia.”

Tom recalled the impact that Marian’s diagnosis – which also included a brain disease called progressive supranuclear palsy – had on the couple, with several months of shock and denial eventually leading to a newfound passion for health and wellness.

The Rollinses began to place special emphasis on diet, exercise and faith in their lives – all the while facing Marian’s diagnosis together.

“Marian is a fantastic woman and my partner of all these years,” Tom said. “She appreciated the seriousness of the challenges that we had, and so we knew just like everything else in life that we’ve tackled, we would do this together. And we have.”

Marian’s prognosis, as Tom said, originally expected her to pass away after five years. Six years later, the two of them are still going strong.

Tom said that as he’s unable to provide the level of care that she needs, Marian is currently staying at Cedarhurst Senior Living of Waterloo in its memory care unit, and he’s exceptionally grateful for the care she receives as well as the opportunities he has to visit her and take her out to experience new memories together.

The Rollinses’ love for each other and those around them is evident at Marian’s Place, which has already seen a number of visitors depart with a positive experience.

Jim Hill, a member of local conservation organization Clifftop who helped design Marian’s Place, praised the Rollinses for their work, describing the impressive response from visitors.

“I think the impact is gonna continue to be popular,” Hill said. “Everything’s been extremely positive. The response from the public has been tremendous. Very upbeat. Very appreciative of what Tom and Marian have done. And we’ve just heard it from dozens and dozens of people that we’ve personally encountered out there at the site. It’s just a feel-good project.”

Tom, too, spoke not only about his hopes for Marian’s Place but also the impact he feels the space has already made.

Tom recalled several small gatherings he was a part of at Marian’s Place – including an event Friday involving several veterans and a visit from eagles courtesy of the World Bird Sanctuary – and the emotions he felt being able to see people enjoy what he and his wife have built.

“I had hoped that it would be enjoyed by a few, but I was just awestruck by not only the groups that were there but the reaction of the veterans,” Tom said. “The day before was probably the most intimate where I was dealing with veterans that had PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, and to see them walk among the sunflowers, smiling and photographing them, brought me a tremendous amount of joy that paid for every cent that I put into the project.”

Marian’s Place is located at 806 Cliff Cave Road in St. Louis County. For more information, visit facebook.com/mariansplaceorg.