Sunday was Father's Day. We went to church with Dad in the morning, coming home and relaxing for a little while before heading to Dale Hollow Lake for dinner. Mom and Dad loved to go to the lake for dinner. When we knew we were going to be in Tennessee for Father's Day, I asked Dad if he would like to go to the lake for dinner and he jumped at the chance. I wasn't sure how he would feel being there without Mom, but my fears were unfounded. He thoroughly enjoyed himself.
Monday, we got up and headed north to Ohio, arriving there around dinner time. We had no plans for the rest of the evening so we hung out at the hotel relaxing. Tuesday morning we left the hotel early to head over to the cemetery to check on Mom's grave, and the headstones we had ordered (Mom's, Dad's, and Aunti Vi's). It was 200 miles each way so we knew it was going to be a long day. We arrived at the cemetery and the stones were beautiful. The only problem is Aunti Vi's is in the wrong place! She wanted it next to Frank Knapp (my grandpa) and they put it next to Frank J. Knapp (my dad). We talked to the stone company and they are going to correct it.
After we left the cemetery, we drove over to the farm that Aunti Vi and Uncle Doug bought in 1947 and where Eileen and I spent many weeks growing up - helping with the haying, milking, raising calves, picking eggs, feeding pigs and many other farm chores. The people who bought it from Aunti Vi in 1995 were home and very graciously allowed us to take pictures. The owner even invited me in to see the interior. They have taken wonderful loving care of the house which was very comforting knowing it was loved and cared for.
Aunti Vi always said she bought the fireplace and the house just happened to come with it!
The wood valence over the window is a sample of the woodwork my grandfather did. He was an unbelievable craftsman and electrician!!!
This is a picture of the house that my grandfather completely gutted and rehabbed when he and my grandmother moved to Ohio after he retired. They lived with my aunt while he was working on the house. It was literally falling down, but Grandpa went in the basement and saw that the frame of the house was absolutely solid. The center beam of the house was a 12 inch beam and as solid as the day the house was built. The house had no windows or doors and the interior had been destroyed by water and weather over the years. I don't remember how long it took him to complete, but it was at least a year. The house was originally the farm house of the farm adjacent to Aunti Vi's. When she and Uncle Doug bought this adjacent farm, the house came with it. They didn't know what they were going to do with the additional house, but Grandpa immediately said that he and Grandma were going to move to Ohio and that was their house! (BTW, the house is not crooked, the picture is :-)!) Unfortunately, the rest of the farm has not fared as well. The calf barn is about to fall down.
The beautiful pole barns and Grade A milking parlor that Aunti Vi and Uncle Doug were so proud of are also about to fall down.
All in all, it was a wonderful nostalgic day. We headed back to Dayton again arriving back at the hotel right around dinner. A quiet evening ensued which was welcome since we had driven 400+ miles and were all tired.
Wednesday, we went to the Air Force Museum. I'll save that post for another time as this post is QUITE long enough :-)!!
(Double click on the pictures to see larger)
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