James C. Wilson, better known as Jim, was a World War II veteran, theological seminary graduate, professional accountant and retirement home enthusiast. After the war, he found a career in accounting, working in Houston where he primarily worked with non-profits providing services to older adults or offering retirement housing.
With East Texas roots, he and his wife, Nancy, decided that Lufkin would be their home during their retirement years. Knowing what was possible, he became passionate to see a faith-based retirement community be built in the area.
With this vision firmly rooted in his heart, he organized a committee of representatives from various churches who began meeting in 1981. The committee was charged with exploring what it would take to see the dream become a reality, meeting monthly to strategize. Wilson first worked with local Pastors to contact church members who would be willing to serve on the “retirement task force.” Next, Jim and Nancy hosted a dinner meeting for the group with a motivational speaker to kick off the campaign.
Meanwhile, the Board of Directors of MRC (known as Methodist Retirement Services at the time) was also looking for opportunities to expand the ministry to other areas within the Texas Annual Conference. A demographic study was conducted giving the Board a variety of locations that had potential for expansion. It would still be a few years before MRC and this special task force would cross paths.
The Lufkin group had begun looking at properties in town that might be suitable to build the community they were imagining. Arthur Temple along with his sister Ann and her husband Carroll Allen owned the property at the corner of Jane Way and Tom Temple which is adjacent to the Presbyterian Church. The President of the task force, who would eventually and officially be called the “Lufkin Retirement Village Board of Directors,” engaged Mr. Temple in a conversation about the possibility. The land would be donated to the “Lufkin Retirement Village.” It’s no surprise that the Board would later decide that “PineCrest Retirement Community” was a better name.
Now that each of these steps were in place, the Board began to research organizations who would complete the project and see it through to operations. They connected with MRC in 1987 and built a partnership to see the goal fulfilled. The Lufkin group demonstrated their own interest in seeing the dream become a reality by raising 2 million dollars towards the development.
After many years of work, and lots of collaboration, PineCrest opened its doors in 1992 with the Wilsons becoming some of the first residents of the new retirement community.
A special debt of gratitude is owed to Wilson who had a dream and didn’t stop pushing until it had become a reality. Wilson passed away in 2002, exactly 10 years after seeing his vision for Lufkin seniors come true.
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