Marlin Enoch
Back in the day, before big box retail and the internet came to rule the world, you could find a general store in just about every small town.
It was a place owned and run by local folks, where you could stock up on basics like toothpaste, shampoo, a can of vegetables, toilet paper and coffee—maybe a simple homemade toy or knick-knack or two to brighten up the walls of your home.
It was a place where, if you were short on cash, the proprietor said it was OK. He—or she—figured you were good for it the next time you came in.
You can still find some of those places today. One is Marlin Enoch’s “Morning Glory” store on the square in Hummelstown.
The sign outside reads “A Family Store,” and that’s what Enoch intends it to be.
“I have something in here for every aspect of a family, from clothing to toys to furniture to decor,” he said. “It just goes on and on and on. When a person walks in here, I want them to be able to find something that they need.”
Enoch thought Hummelstown a good place for his store because of all the rental units in town, many four and five stories high. His furniture is lightweight, easy to carry and inexpensive, so “a person doesn’t have to go into debt to supply their apartment.”
By Myself
This is Enoch’s second version of Morning Glory in Hummelstown. He opened his first store on W. Main Street in March 2024.
It was only a few blocks off the square in this walkable town, but in a quiet residential area where foot traffic plummeted when winter weather set in.
He moved to his present location on the square, across the street from the local newspaper and a bank, in February 2025, but it took several months before he could reopen.
In the meantime, he took a part-time job at a grocery store to help make ends meet, as he didn’t want to borrow any more money.
He liked the job at the grocery store and the steady paycheck. But, at age 69, the work to prepare the new space and move everything while juggling a part-time job was a challenge.
“All this in here, I did it all by myself,” Enoch said, with a touch of pride. “One lady, she lives on the west end, she came in and said, ‘I’ve watched you Marlin, I saw you tie that stuff on the hood of your car with your trunk wide open traveling down the road.’”
Torn between the security of the part-time job and his passion for running his own retail business, Enoch gave notice to the grocery store at the beginning of November. Out on a limb, once again.
Entrepreneurialism is in Enoch’s blood. His father Clarence was his own boss for as long as Enoch could remember. He had a hauling and janitorial service and later opened a used furniture and appliance store.
Everything Enoch knows about business, he learned from his dad. From his mom, Mary, a homemaker, came much more. She molded his character, his faith in God and a love of caring for people.
“She used to tell me, ‘Marlin, if I can’t do kindness and be kind to somebody and help somebody today, I have no purpose for living.’ I believe that was instilled inside of me.”
Tough Decisions
Enoch worked for a vending company in Middletown for 15 years until being laid off, and then a car dealership in Hershey another 10 years before getting laid off again.
He struck out on his own in 2008, running small retail stores in Harrisburg until one day a call came from a doctor about his mom’s condition at a nursing home.
She had Alzheimer’s disease, and her organs were shutting down. The doctor gave her fewer than 10 months to live.
Enoch prayed about what to do. God told him to close his store and bring his mother home, he said.
“It was such a tough decision. I was afraid because being self-employed, that’s your livelihood. You don’t have sick days; you don’t have vacation days. I was fearful, but I followed God’s direction.”
After his mom died, Enoch, also a minister, opened a church in New Cumberland called House of Bethel. He pastored there for two years until the owner sold the building housing the church.
Two years later, a pastor, moving his wife and family to Houston, asked Enoch to “keep the doors open” at his church in Harrisburg until a full-time preacher could be found. Enoch led the flock for 18 months.
His desire to preach the gospel never left him. But he’s come to realize he doesn’t have to be standing behind a pulpit to do that.
Enoch believes his ministry now has evolved.
“Minister to the people who walk through my door, to show them love and kindness and to show them there are people that will treat them fair and will appreciate them for being a customer,” he said. “That’s what I have been doing for the last 10 years.”
Morning Glory is located at 13 E. Main St., Hummelstown.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
