A dash of excitement in their lives brought Estelle and Jimmy Kincaid together years ago, and the adventure of life at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch is what led them to give financially over the years. Estelle and Jimmy met when they were 30 and 32, respectively. He was a Dallas, Texas police officer, and she was a nurse. Many colleagues of Estelle had also taken jobs as reserve police officers in which they were trained and then helped spot drunken drivers for the police.
“We would be in a plain car and drive around looking for things like drugs or people driving drunk. If we found something, we would radio it in and stay with the car until a police officer arrived. If the officer found cause, then we would be the transport to the jail,” Estelle said. “It was kind of interesting and not that dangerous. I didn’t want to be a street cop, but I wanted to have a little excitement in my life. After a few months in the rotation, I met Jim.”
The couple resided in Dallas for many years and gave small amounts of money to Boys Ranch throughout the years.
“My parents used to give a little every year. They would give maybe $5 or $10,” Jim said in a 2018 article for The Heritage, a newsletter of Boys Ranch.
Jim and Estelle moved to East Texas in the mid-1990s but ultimately settled in Lubbock.
“Jim was born and raised on a ranch, so he liked the city. I was born in the city, so I like the country,” Estelle said. “We would go to Boys Ranch for the rodeo. Jim liked to talk to people and get to know the kids. He liked making connections with the children. It was a personal thing for him to be out there and know the houseparents and the children. I just liked seeing how the organization works. I like history, so for me, I like the story of how Cal Farley got the land and built all that he did at Boys Ranch.”
Estelle and Jim continued giving to Boys Ranch over the years and got to know the staff. Having no children of their own, the couple decided to leave their estate to Boys Ranch after they both passed away. Jim died Oct. 19, 2018, one day before his 76th birthday, and Estelle still plans to leave their estate to Boys Ranch.
“Over the years I just got to see the manners and values Boys Ranch instills in the kids, and it would be the way that Jim and I would have raised a child. So, for me, it was an easy decision,” Estelle said. “Jim and I agreed that you look for the best system that needs financial help. We knew that somehow it would get paid forward. For every kid that it has helped, I would say many of them give back to Boys Ranch in some way.”
Estelle said that she continues to keep in touch with her friends who are staff at Boys Ranch. While she no longer travels to the campus for the annual rodeo, she believes Boys Ranch continues to teach children strong values, which will help them lead fulfilling lives.
“When they go through that program, they have a plan, beliefs, and a moral compass. I think that they should be very proud of how far they’ve come. You know, the fact is that many kids do not know how to go about working and managing a life. That is something that I think you learn along the way, and having the support of family often helps,” Estelle said. “Some of the children at Boys Ranch may not have that family for support, but when they leave Boys Ranch, they have a sense of family. They start out from such humble beginnings, but they are so much better prepared than some other young people because of their time and the support at Boys Ranch.”