Centenarian: ‘Do what you enjoy’

Founder of Ephrata business, co-founder of Millersville farm/care home reflects on 100 years

Laura Knowles for LNP | LancasterOnline
May 20, 2024

On any given day, Jim Determan is likely to be playing cards with his friends at the Lititz Senior Center or chatting with everyone he meets.

The camaraderie of spending time with others has made all the difference in the life of Determan, who celebrated his 100th birthday Sunday.

“I have made some wonderful friends here,” said Determan, who spends time at the Lititz Senior Center, which is funded by the Lancaster County Office of Aging and hosted at the Lititz United Methodist Church. “It’s important to stay connected to other people, and to be involved.”

That’s not his only secret to living a long life. Determan reads at least two books a week. He prefers fiction, and one of his favorite authors is James Patterson.

“Reading lets you imagine what life is like for someone else. It makes you curious and keeps you interested in life,” Determan said. “There is nothing like a good book.”

Even so, he admits that living to be 100 isn’t something he ever planned. It might just be luck or being blessed by God, he says. He keeps active and eats a salad for lunch every day. He has a positive attitude and looks to the future.

“I’m lucky to have lived a long life. I have learned a lot of things and had some great experiences, and some not-so-good experiences,” he said.

James Determan was born May 19, 1924, in Browns Valley, Minnesota. He was one of six sons and a sister of Herman and Margaret Determan. He is the only survivor among his siblings.

Geraldine, his first wife and mother of their five children, died in 2004 after a long marriage. Determan found a second chance when he married Sylvia four years later. The couple lived in Florida, then returned to the Lititz area to live with her daughter when she became ill. He became a widower again when Sylvia passed away in 2020.

He still lives with his stepdaughter. “I like the Lititz area. This is my home and I have many friends here.”

Determan’s three living children include Patricia Orndorff, who lives in Virginia; Theresa Krakowski, of Indianapolis; and Thomas Determan, who lives in Virginia. He has five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His son Terrance Determan died nearly 20 years ago.

Helped to start Homefields

In 2017, he lost his youngest daughter, Mary Beth, when she was 60. As a baby, she had suffered a brain injury from a high fever when she had whooping cough. Through the years, Jim and Geraldine supported their daughter, who participated in the Special Olympics. When she died, she had been a resident at Homefields Inc. in Millersville.

“Homefields has always been close to my heart,” said Determan, who was a founder of the farm and long-term home for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “We wanted to provide a safe, family-like setting for our adult children.”

The Determans were among five families who planted the seed of Homefields in 1991.

A year later, they pooled their finances and purchased an 8-acre horse-boarding farm in Millersville. Everyone rolled up their sleeves to remodel a ranch house, restore a stone house and complete homes for the first residents.

Determan was a natural at helping to build and establish Homefields. His career began in Minneapolis when he worked for an engineering firm, then later for a company that produced rock-crushing equipment for concrete and asphalt manufacturing.

Later he moved on to sales for a private contractor for various companies. Then in 1986, he started his own company, Determan Equipment, in Ephrata. He continued to sell parts until his retirement in 2015, when he was nearly 92.

“I always liked working. I like keeping busy,” he said. Determan is a veteran, who served in World War II in the Philippines and Japan. He served in the U.S. Army infantry and later became a personnel manager with the Army.

Determan said he thinks he has gained some wisdom in his 100 years. He has a few lessons to share.

“It’s important to do what you enjoy in life. Learn from the people you meet. And never put money ahead of people,” he said. “People always matter more than money.”