We’d be remiss in our Homes Issue not to honor our hometown. A few locals shared why – regardless of house, apartment, condo, rental, or street name – Abilene is, ultimately, our choice of home.
“Abilene became my home in 1978 when I came to Hardin-Simmons as a freshman. I love the people in Abilene – from mentors to strangers. The people have boundless generosity, a can-do spirit, and a warmth and compassion that is unmatched. All of these characteristics shaped and prepared me to (hopefully) be a caring citizen. Thank you, Abilene!”
— Cathy Ashby, executive director of United Way
“I wanted to raise my daughter in the same nurturing environment and community that I grew up in. It is a privilege for me to give back to the community that molded and shaped me into the person that I am today. I’m also honored to work with a great group of surgeons – Dr. Trammel, Dr. Brown and Dr. Eddleman recruited me back to Abilene, and it’s an honor to be apart of their team bringing Neurosurgery to Abilene and the surrounding communities.”
— Leslie Hutchins, neurosurgeon, Hendrick Health System
“When we moved back here from Michigan we thought we would be living in the DFW area, but decided Abilene was a much better place to raise our girls. We have never regretted our decision and love all the great changes happening in this ‘small town.’”
— Shay McCormack, bookkeeper/office manager for C&S Repair Services, LLC.
“For me it’s simple. I love Abilene. It’s the West Texas charm and the unique way of life that sets Abilene apart from big city life. I daily appreciate the many joys of living in our vibrant community we call Abilene.”
— Ann Carr, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Panion and Mash
“When people asked me why I moved to Abilene, I usually told them it is to avoid parallel parking. It is a great town where life is not so hurried and stressful. Life is too short to deal with parking and traffic jams every single day. I used to live in Shanghai where I could easily spend two and a half hours on the road going to work and coming home. Here I basically gain two hours each day. We love Abilene, as our children get to grow up with a cohort of wonderful friends, go to each other’s house for sleepovers without parents being worried. In addition, with the Internet, we can order a lot of things online, so we can still access other resources fairly easily.”
— Berlin Fang, director of instructional design, Adams Center for Teaching Excellence, Abilene Christian University
“Being myself from Michigan and my husband from California, I can honestly say you’ll never find a more hospitable place to call home. We love Abilene. There’s a reason people who leave always come back.”
— Heather DeLaTorre, pharmacy technician at Barnes & Williams Drugstore.
“McMurry University brought me to Abilene in 1993, and has kept me here since. What I discovered is one of the most interesting places in Texas. Abilene is a small city with a hometown atmosphere that maintains an air of civility and manners that is often hard to find elsewhere. Slightly formal, yet folksy at the same time.”
— Don Frazier, Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History at McMurry University
“I’m from Utah and went to medical school in Wisconsin, but I did my residency in San Antonio and loved Texas. I have four girls and a wife, and we wanted to find a family friendly Christian place to live in Texas. Abilene felt like a great area to do that.”
— Todd Pitts, surgeon at Abilene Orthopaedic Surgery/Abilene Regional Medical Center
“What I love Abilene is our sense of community. We may not always agree on everything, but we are always willing to take care of each other. When someone needs assistance there is almost always someone who is willing to help.”
— Kristina Campos-Davis, director of communications & content strategy, Hardin-Simmons University
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