Three Rights Make a Left

Lessons Learned in Forney

I grew up in the little town of Floresville, 30 miles south of San Antonio. From a very early age, I learned the values that smalltown life has to offer: principles like hard work, honesty and looking out for you neighbors.

I graduated in 1975 among a class of 136 and went away to college at Abilene Christian College where I met the love of my life, Lori. She grew up in the small town (then) of Bonita, California, in the foothills outside of San Diego. When we got married three years later, we tried city life for a while, first in apartments in Arlington and Dallas then we bought our first home in Garland in 1980. Through all of those years smalltown life called to us, and eventually we listened and bought a house in the little town of Forney.

It was 1983, and Forney had a population of about 2500 people. Forney had one high school, and we spent a lot of Friday evenings watching 2-A football in the old Jackrabbit Stadium on South Bois D’Arc.

We loved the smalltown feel of Forney and resolved to adapt to being a part of the community. Most people were welcoming and accepting of us as newcomers. However, there were a tiny few who didn’t want Forney to grow and were more than passively resentful of newcomers. We not only built a home in Forney, all three of our kids were born and grew up there. We were active in the Church of Christ where I served as a youth minister and a Deacon, I served a term on the City Council, several years on the Forney Economic Development Corporation, I was in the Lion’s Club and served two terms as County Commissioner.

We always knew that Forney would grow as we watched Dallas expand to the north and to some degree to the south. The Trinity River always seemed like a barrier to growth in the east. Finally, that barrier was broken, and a flood of newcomers came to Forney. Many had the same attitude we did and wanted to be a part of the community. However, a large number were simply part of the Bedroom Community and had little to do with becoming part of the smalltown Forney that they moved to. Forney became a true suburban city, and the Trinity River is no longer a barrier to growth.

As Forney grew, Lori and I longed for the small town that we had moved to, not just for us but for our kids and grandkids. Last year we listened to the call that drew us to Forney in the first place. We bought a house outside Lone Oak, south of Greenville, with enough land to offer our kids a place to build. Lone Oak has a population of 631 people and is growing. We love the smalltown atmosphere here in Lone Oak. We have resolved to become a part of the community. I bought season tickets to watch the Lone Oak Buffalos play in their brand-new stadium and haven’t missed a home game, though they have yet to win one. A couple of months ago, Hunt County appointed me to be their representative on the North Central Texas Housing Finance Corporation, and a couple of weeks ago the City of Lone Oak appointed me to the Lone Oak Economic Development Corporation.

Next week I will talk about some lessons learned in Forney that Lone Oak could benefit from.