Good Manors: Methodist home in Florence turns 20

Ninety-nine-year-old Winnie Crowley has lived a fifth of her life at the Methodist Manor, on Florence’s west side. And if that part of her life hasn’t been a total picnic, she does have fond memories of the picnics.

“I remember the May picnics,” Crowley said recently “It was always the windiest day of the year…under the pecan tree.”

Methodist Manor has been making memories for its residents just like that ever since Crowley and a few others moved in in 1992. Though the neatly manicured, well-kept facility doesn’t look it, it’s 20 years old this year. To mark the occasions, residents, employees, friends and other interested parties have a series of events planned. Some started earlier this week when residents enjoyed special dinners and social events. Thursday night there’s a dinner dance for residents before this weekend’s grand finale.

Saturday at 1:30 p.m. the manor’s main hall will be dedicated in memory of the Rev. Robert “Bob” Faulkner, who’s vision helped bring the facility to life. Following the dedication the residents, families and the Board of Trustees will celebrate with a concert by Christian performing artist Paul Saik followed by a dessert reception. Saik will perform again at 7:30 p.m. that evening. The public is welcome to attend the evening concert with Saik.

Sunday at 3:30 p.m., the community will host a celebration service at the Mary Alice Ingram Chapel. A special banner commemorating the event and made by Lynn Roberts and Ann Thomas, Florence residents who are friends of the Manor’s Chaplain Ann, will be on display.

The anniversary celebrations have been, and will be, happy affais, said the Manor’s Sales and Marketing Director Debbie Edwards, who has been at the Manor for about five years. It’s that kind of place.

“It’s a family community,” Edwards said. “And that is exactly how it was supposed to be.”

Added picnic fan Crowley, “It’s just a fun place to grow old.”

The Manor began in unlikely fashion. The idea was spawned by a group of friends from Central United Methodist Church who met each week for ice cream. “The Ice Cream Gang,” as the group was called, gathered on Sunday nights after worship service. Upon saying good bye to a friend in the group who was moving to a retirement community in North Carolina, the remaining friends discussed how wonderful it would be to have a Methodist community in the Pee Dee so their friends wouldn’t be so far away.

One member of the group, Mary Alice Ingram, had the werewithal to write a big enough check to get a building fund off the ground. Faulkner, then Senior Pastor at Central, lent his time and dedication to the cause. The home was his dream. In a nice twist, Faulkner was able to live out his dream at the community later in his life.

“It amazes me how Bob’s vision came true,” Edwards said. “You see where it becomes a family, a true community.”

The group broke ground for the community in 1987 and dedicated the building on Feb. 2, 1992. The first residents moved in that year.

Today, the Manor is home to 230 residents who live in housing that covers the entire spectrum of senior assisted living, including patio homes, independent apartments, assisted living, health care and memory care units. The Manor still has close ties with the United Methodist Church. Plenty of retired Methodist clergy live there. But it is a non-denominational community. All faiths are welcome.

For more information about the Methodist Manor call (843) 664-0700 or visit www.methodist-manor.com.