Couch Family

I had such a wonderful child hood with so many great memories. It wasn’t because I had everything I wanted or lived in a huge house or traveled farther than Hamden Connecticut to see my Aunt, Uncle and cousins. The house is just as much a part of the memories as the way we lived. Because of that, I’m writing about it as well as some of my memories.

We lived at 1196 Highland Street. An un remarkable 3 bedroom brick double we rented for $25.00 per month- such a very very long time ago! The first time I saw the house where I would live for the next 17 years, I was 4 years old and standing in the front room with my mom and dad. The most outstanding thing about the house was the grey and maroon stripped wall paper. Must have been an OSU supporter…or a a design idea gone really bad. That first night we were there the boy who lived in the other half of the double with his parents and 2 sisters, came over to see if we wanted to sign up for newspaper delivery. His name was Eddy and his family became close friends and still are today.

The floor plan was simple. After entering from a large front porch, the front room had a brick gas fireplace with a big mantle ( a capped gas line in the fireplace-probably used at least 10 to 15 years before we lived there).. and book case to the side. There was a very large mirror over the fire place. A large dining room with a stair case to the left and a short hall to the right leading to the door to the basement, walking back to the kitchen and back porch. There were 3 bedrooms up stairs and a full basement with a walk out and cellar doors over the entrance. The bath room had a ‘clothes shute’ and a gas heater built into the wall that we used to heat up the bathroom in the winter until the city made it illegal and wouldn’t allow them to be used.

My bedroom was the middle of three. The first was to the left of the stairs and my fathers cousin Lovina (who lived with us for many years) stayed in this room. The year my father died Lovina found the love of her live and moved away and Janet took the room for her own. And I finally had my own bedroom. Well, almost. There was a roll-away-bed in there that was used for my grandparents when they visited. The front bedroom was my parents.

The back yard was split in half. On our side, flowers planted by my mother . A circle made of brick placed on an angle and hydrangia and other flowers in the middle; raspberries grew at the back of the yard and, in the back of the yard and down a small hill, an alley that separated our back yards from neighbors on the street behind us.

The alley is also where we played ball and cut through to the street and walked to Junior high as well as the ‘Rec’ center as teens.

The other half of the yard had a sour cherry tree and because of that tree, my first appreciation of a sour cherry pie that only my mom could make- but I continue to try to do as well.

Our house was heated by coal. Big chunks of black dusty dirty rocks. It was delivered once a month by a 1 ton truck, 2 men who placed a board from the back of the bed to run their wheel barrell on after filling it then running it over to a side window and dumping it into our basements coal bin. After the delivery, my mother began the process of cleaning every surface of the house. From top to bottom; cleaning the coal dust that had sifted up to the second floor then finishing in the basement scrubbing every surface.

There is nothing warmer than standing on a heating great with warm heat radiating from the furnace. And nothing more work than having to get up in the early morning, shaking down the furnace, then shoveling chunks of coal into the gaping hole. If the fire was too low or the coals in embers, getting the fire started with wads of newspaper set on fire to rekindle it. So, I was playing with fire at an early age. When gas furnaces became popular, the owners put in conversion furnaces. They used parts of the old furnace and part new.

My father owned a furniture store. It was located about 2 blocks from the house …down Highland Street to Fifth Avenue. On the corner of Fifth and Highland was our elementry school. Going west on Fifth and caddy-corner from the school was my Dad’s store. “Fred’s Furniture ” My dad was a natural salesman and the store did well. So natural he was at it, that my mother had revolving furniture. She picked out what she wanted… he had it put in our home.. then brought clients who he thought wanted something..just like we had…took them over to visit our house and, if they liked it, sold what we had and brought my mom new furniture. We had the nicest pieces. Two pieces we still have today. Chris has the coffee table and I have the end table of a very nice european style pieces that are beautiful wood and as modern today as they were then.

Our playmates were the 2 girls next door, Cheryl and Linda and the neighbors who lived across the Alley from us on Hunter Avenue. We played ball in the ally, Explorers on the hills of the lots behind the houses, and searched for ‘hoppers’ on leaves. In the summer on really hot days that lead to rain, we ran outside to play. On realy cold days, I spent my time in my ‘office’. A space I had created in the basement. I had my desk and chair and easle and paints, and roller skates. I spent hours there.

When we were around 12 or so, we started going to 5th Avenue Church. It was an Evangelical United Brotheren. We didn’t really understand anything about the doctrines of the church but did understand but that I liked the kids who were there and made some great friends. Friends I’ve kept for a life time.

The group of kids I ran with started a folk singing group; and by talking for special services, I learned public speaking and how to organize meetings, parties, and generally had a wonderful time.

As much as I look forward to the present, I like to see from where I’ve come. Last week I had the opportunity to do just that. On Licking Valley Road outside of Frazesburg is the house my Great Great Grandfather built, my Great Grandfather moved there with his family after his father passed on. He raised 8 children including my Grandmother, Lettie Moran Tumblin.

My cousin Judy and I went to visit my Aunt Joan. We followed the directions of her friends who knew the current owners. As you go east, it sits on the right side sitting stately on a rise. There are 5 outbuildings. The current owners kept the two barns, the summer kitchen, and the spring house. They added one building of their own.

I wanted to turn the car around and stop in front of the house and take a photo. My aunt went one step further by going up to the house to see if someone was home. There was. After telling them who we were, they invited us in to the house. They were really nice people. They shared what they had done, we share as much as we could. They let us take photos. They showed us the parts that had been gutted, added onto, and what stayed. They had added a bathroom down stairs on the old side porch entry and on the second floor, taken out a bedroom and making a bath upstairs. The side porch on the right had side had been converted to a place for the washer and dryer and a pantry.

On the visit through the house, the looked at us and then her husband and he saw her get ready to speak and asked her not to…she did anyway and asked if anyone had died in the house. Turns out there is a resident ghost. This ‘ghost’ comes down the stair case and goes toward the area which is now a bath room. It used to be an outside entrance.

We checked with my Aunt June but she wasn’t aware of anyone dying there. The house ’s original owner was my great-great-great grandfather Joshua and his wife Ellen..who on further thought…may have passed away but we don’t know where she might have died. Does one have to die in a location to haunt it?

Her husband also mentioned that in this room where we were standing, a compass will go in circles. I noticed after leaving that I was so quieted and peaceful while in the house. Could there be a large magnetic deposit in the ground? Magnitite? Could this location be on ‘lay’lines? Interesting possibilities. I wish I had a way to find out.

John asked his dad to come out and help him get some work done for the baby’s room and their shower.

Chuck jumped at the chance and, because he couldnt go when he first expected to, when he could go, I also got the opportunity and, as it happens, just the time when Fred and Cathy were to be in AZ!! How exciting! It wasn’t a long visit but it sure was a good one.

We got there on Thursday afternoon. Fred and Cathy came in and we found out that Cathy had fallen as she was leaving her home in California. Fortunatly, she was ok and we had the opportunity to spend some time with them. Between the pool, hot tub, tv, and shopping- oh yes, and beating or trying to beat Fred at Hearts and Dominos…it was a great time! I have photos I will share later. It seems the time goes so quickly. We just get there and it’s time to leave. Not fair.

We take one big trip a year and several small ones if we are lucky. This year we are beyond lucky! We are blessed. We’ve been to Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Phoenix (several times!!)

We expected this trip but didn’t know when it would happen. We traveled back to Arizona there to participate in a special public ceremony. When you love someone with your heart, it isn’t necessary to to be related. You are already related in the most important way. However, an opportunity presented itself and the judge who presided over the ceremony said it best: “we put on paper what has been fact for 26 years.” July 12, 2007, John Michael Barr became John Michael Couch on paper because he and Dave are already related in Chuck’s heart.

The day was exciting on several additonal layers. The crowd at the courthouse provided a glimpse of human life we don’t often (thank goodness) get to see. Secondly, it was the very last case of the attorney John used was going to be handling. She was retiring. It was also exciting because I got to drive a quad runner AND go to my first Pub Crawl. However, being the DD, I did not do any crawling…and let me tell you, it isn’t easy driving in the Phoenix area..drunk or sober. Thank goodness John was able to direct me back to Peoria. Nicole had left directions but it wouldn’t have helped. There is a lot of road construction going on .

Since John and Nicole moved to Arizona and Dave & Denise live in Pennsylvania, our life seems to go from Road Trip to Road Trip with a little work life in between.  And you won’t hear many complaints from this house.

Growing up, we traveled  to the east coast to see my Aunt and Uncle in Conneticut ;I’ve been to Washington DC and as far south as St. Augustine.  When Janet moved to Florida we had our first vacation as a ‘family’ with Christopher being very small and all three boys in the back seat.  They were great travelers and we always  had a great time.   John entertained;Dave put up with it and Chris slept on queue- 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. That was the extent of our journies.

So the Road Trips to new territories have begun anew.  And they have been spectacular!  Seeing the earth from 36000 feet is an awesome sight.   Chuck and I struggle over the window seat.  I think we both prefer it but it graciously gives me the seat a lot of the times. And I graciously take it. Dave has taught us a better and sometimes quicker way to his home in Murraysville and I’ve been pretty successful and doing a new land record when necessary.

The last road trip we took didn’t include a trip to Arizona  or Pennsylvania but instead featured 2 events on two consecutive week-ends and  a great side trip in between.    Starting the trip with our niece Erins’ graduation on Satuday in Norman, Oklahoma, John, Tina, Betty, Chuck and I made our way west.   Past the worlds largest McDonalds and straight on to Norman.

The Graduation ceremony was in a  large gymnasium with baloons waiting to be dropped in a net over head.  There were a lot of graduates in this class and each one had their photo taken at two times before receiving their diploma.  All I could think of was $$’s in the photographers pocket. The baloons finally dropped and the group was ‘officially’ graduated followed by a party held by the parents for Erin and the girls she ran with. The next day our real road trip began. 

We stopped at the Welcome station after getting into Texas and took photos of the granite carving of the state of Texas, collected pamphlets and headed to Waco.  The following day we drove to San Antonio.    

Our first great surprise of the trip was the Hotel Tina had booked for our visit.  We were on the 4th floor of the building and one of 6 bedrooms that faced a gorgeous deck with tables, palms and pool with blue sky over head.

 The second great surprise was that we were right across the street from one of the bridges that has steps leading to the River Walk. Located 10 to 15 feet below street level, if you didn’t know the River Walk existed and know where to look, it might be difficult to find~But a lot of the bridges do have steps leading down to a walk way along the edge of both sides of the river.  It’s beautiful.  Years of growth on trees and shrubs provide the shade and cool spots from the humid temperatures.  The walk widens in places for use by the cafe′s lining the river.  You can almost eat your way from one end of the riverwalk to the other! Boats billed as river taxi’s provide a break for tired feet .  

We spent our noons and evening trying out different places to eat..     We took the river tour   of the area and realized how much history there was to this adventure we were taking.  We heard how they moved a building and how the Alamo figured into the construction.–  Because it is a historical and revered place, the city charter calls for no building to cast a shadow on or over it. – It’s ’earned’ its place in the sun for all to see an remember the sacrifices those men made – not to win the battle- but to keep Santa Ana busy long enough so that the Texas Rangers and the military had time to mount an offensive against his army and have a chance of winning.  Of the couple hundred fighters at the Alamo, only a a few were from Texas.  Most were from other parts of the country.  some had come out west to buy land at 12 cents an acre. 

From the past to the futuristic …we took a ride up into the  space needle created for the Worlds Fair .  750 feet up and a lot of wind on a very muggy hot day makes a clostrophobic ride in an elevator worth while.

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