Old story of THE HERITAGE HOUSE, and some old pictures.. enjoy..

Oct 27, 2014

This house was built in 1889 and was occupied by "one loving family". It was passed down generation by generation and was loved and cared for by many people of that family. We will call it

         "THE HERITAGE HOUSE"

          This house, like many was the birthplace to many of the people who loved and lived there. Many of the babies were born right there at home, with the "help of grandma's, aunts, sisters of the mother or father, or even neighbors. They didn't very often have doctors around, nor did they feel the need to see them. So as the saying goes, "if walls could talk, many of these walls could tell of some precious times, and even some sad times". When the house was first built, windows were scarce, it didn't have many, but over the years a window was added here and there to make it brighter and lighter inside.  They used candles at first, then oil lamps, also the had "spring house" to help with keeping the milk, butter and things cold and prevent spoilage. Vegetables were grown and canned, sausage, deer, and some beef were also canned. They also had a smoke house and smoked some of their meat in the autumn, some was preserved with salt. The meat was then stored in a "meat house". They raised most of all of the food that they ate, and money was scarce, but then they didn't need to buy much, they "lived off the land". So, the truth is, the "Simple life" was a busy life. Many of the occupants, especially back in the early days were farmers and they "peddled" their goods, and that was their income. They also would do little odd and end jobs, like helping with fencing and make a little bit now and then, but then a lot of the time, their neighbors would repay your helping them with helping you in return. So, at times the house saw tired "old" people, even if they were still young in age. They got up early, at daylight and went to bed at dusk, but they were tired and ready to rest.  When many of the youngest siblings were teenagers they disliked the old house and wished for a huge, fancy home in the city. And true to beliefs, many moved on, but always returned for visits and sometimes just to recapture some of the more simple life.

The house and all the memories were a "solid foundation" to base life upon and so it's memories were precious. It seemed that as the family members aged, the memories of that more simple time became sweeter and more precious, and the memories of their heritage was with gratitude. Still someone always loved and wanted to be right there in that home, and it was always kept "in the family". It seemed that many of them remembered their childhood, with the house as a main part of their family and way of life. It went through many changes, in the beginning the owners brought water there by horse and buggy, then a well was dug and over the years the well was updated, re-dug, and at one point filled in and another well dug, it was deeper and sweeter and the water was mineral free (such as sulphur or iron), what a terrific improvement. There were porches added, porches replaced due to rot and age. Rooms were changed, walls added, walls knocked down for expansion, two new bedrooms added on and then a completely new kitchen with the well water pumped right into the house. Also at that time, an indoor bath room was build on in that new addition. Then plank siding was placed all around the house, and you couldn't even tell that it bore scars of all the improvements and changes it had been through. Much later in the life of the house, even electricity was put right into the house, so the occupants at that time could just flip a switch and turn on the lights, another blessing for the occupants, and another improvement to the house. Then a few receptacles were put on the wall to make life even easier for them, then in the later years a newer larger electric panel was put in and lots of receptacles were put in and a newer washer and dryer installed. Time goes on and so does "progress", improvements and aging (of the house, it's support, foundation, walls, roof. The family too was going through many changes, "time" being the culprit. And over time, it lost complete older generation (one at a time) it happens in every family, that is how life is, and thus the life of houses also. When the house was one hundred and three years old, the last family member passed away and her children and nieces and nephews had all moved away. The house stood another 17 years before it slowly gave way and landed in a heap on it's side, that was in the summer of 2009. Tired from all the years of service and from age, and what a loving, helpful, peaceful, shelter it had provided. Many, many precious and loving memories it left behind, and they grew sweeter and sweeter as time went on and all the 'memories' were passed from generation to generation. You may see this as a pile of old wood and a tin roof.. I see it as many, many years of shelter to some precious family that new the goodness of what was given to them by God above. Many sweet memories by all who lived or even visited there. And now, it's at rest. It has been a blessing to many, and God has blessed it with strength and endurance. Again, my mind is saying ...

"if only walls could talk"... Just how interesting it would be to hear the many years of memories that this old house has seen and endured. So just maybe this should have been called

THE HERITAGE 'HOME' because any building could be used as a house.. But it takes something special to make a house a home.

And to Kayla, Anna, and Abigail and Nathan.. thanks again for your stories!  Love Grandma...  This is one of grandma's stories about that ole house.. I will post the other one soon.. Enjoy.. I try, but you all do much better.

WE NEVER KNOW WHAT PATHS OUR LIVES WILL TAKE, BUT HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT A PATH, EVEN A COUNTRY PATH AND WONDER OR EVEN IMAGINE JUST WHAT BEAUTY COULD BE AT THE OTHER END? WE CAN ONLY BE FAITHFUL AS WE CAN TO GOD, TO FAMILY, AND TO OURSELVES, AND DO OUR VERY BEST. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR WHATEVER PLANS GOD HAS FOR US, AND TRY NOT COMPLAIN. WE ARE NOT PROMISED TOMORROW: JAMES 4:14 says : ... whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."