A century ago, church leaders and laymen of the Detroit Annual Conference of, what was then, the Methodist Episcopal Church saw the need for an alternative to the county poor houses as a means of caring for “the lonely aged.” Together they sought an innovative, non-profit, and faith-based means of filling that need. Rev. James E. Jacklin, one of UMRC’s founders, wrote: “The old, as the young, need more than bread. They need rest, peace, comfort, care, fellowship and love.”

For visual timeline, click here.

Local stove manufacturer Frank Porter Glazier donated 33 acres from a former county fairground site and, in 1906, ground was broken in Chelsea, Michigan, to offer a new way of caring for our aged saints. The Chelsea “Old People’s Home” offered care with dignity to its residents, assured of this same quality care even if their savings ran out. This promise was made by our founders and continues to the present.

Today the United Methodist Retirement Communities offers a continuum of care on its 58-acre Chelsea campus, with independent and assisted-living apartments, short-stay rehabilitation facility, and Towsley Village for residents living with Alzheimer’s and all stages of memory loss. UMRC also encompasses The Cedars of Dexter, and The Pines senior apartments in Chelsea, and joint ownership of Silver Maples of Chelsea with the Chelsea Community Hospital.

UMRC has depended on generous gifts throughout its 100-year history from individuals, churches, organizations, corporations and foundations to support our founders’ promise of benevolent care. In 1998 the UMRC Heritage Foundation was created to raise and manage funds to support UMRC’s faith-based, non-profit mission. This investment and fund-raising arm ensures the same continuity of care for all our residents, even if they outlive their resources.

While much has changed over the last one hundred years, UMRC’s commitment to its founders’ charge remains steadfast. UMRC looks ahead to its second century with renewed purpose and dedication to its mission: to meet the changing needs of Michigan’s diverse aging population by providing housing and related services with a Christian focus.