When Crestview opened in 1962, the Doers Sunday School class at A&M United Methodist Church in College Station started an outreach to Crestview Retirement Community. They began a Sunday School class for residents. The Doers Sunday School class began at the church during the 1940's as a class for young married college students. At the beginning of the Crestview Sunday School class Dr. Keith Henry and Dr. Cecil Ryan were teachers. Both men were professors at Texas A&M. Dr. Ryan was a professor of Poultry Science and Dr. Henry was professor in Meteorology. They taught until their health prevented them from continuing.
In 1992 Dr. Henry's wife, Francis Henry, began teaching. Mrs. Henry was the first private practice dietitian in Brazos County, and organized the local Diabetic Association among many other community involvements. Dr. Mort Kothmann became Mrs. Henry's substitute teacher near the turn of the century.
When Mrs. Henry fell and broke her arm in 2012, she became a resident at Crestview Skilled Nursing and Dr. Kothmann replaced her as the teacher. Mrs. Henry has provided teaching at Crestview for almost 30 years in total. Mort and his wife, Kathy, are now residents of Arbor Oaks. He teaches and Kathy, who is a certified lay minister, provides music for the class. Dr. Kothmann recently retired from being a Professor of Range Science at A&M for 45 years.
Our chaplain, Rev. Gary Adams, who has been at Crestview for 15 years, and Dr. Kothmann alternate teaching the class. The class uses the Methodist Adult Bible Studies literature, which has been provided by A&M United Methodist Church free of charge for our residents from the beginning.
When Arbor Oaks opened in 2011, the class moved to the Arbor Oaks Chapel and residents from Arbor Oaks join with residents from Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing for the class. Thanks to A&M Methodist and our volunteers every Sunday morning for the past 60+ years, elders who are a part of the Crestview and Arbor Oaks community can count on being touched with Worship and the Word of God in our Doers Sunday School class.
