The Lakeview area
As I’ve told you before, my mother loved to move. As soon as school was out in 1961, the house hunting activity started in earnest. My mother had her mind set on Lakeview in the Battle Creek area. Mom and Dad have been checking the listings. Night after night after dinner we would head out in the car to Lakeview to look at homes. I was not at all happy about moving. However I was quite young and did enjoy looking at all the homes. Especially when the outing ended up at the Dog ‘ Suds for a root beer served in a frosted mug.
Dog n Suds
Day after day this repeated. And visits to the real estate office where the realtor allowed me to handle a one hundred dollar bill! At seven years old, it was the most money I had ever had in my hand. I was hoping that Mr. York, the realtor would allow me to keep it. I would be rich! My young mind tallied up how many jaw breakers and other assorted candy this money could buy. But alas. Mr. York had not forgotten about the C note. At the end of his talk with mom and dad, he collected it from me. Visions of riches and mountains of candy vanished at once.
The Lakeview home
One day after looking at homes, we returned to the realtors office. It seemed that mom and dad had decided on a home. It was an two story wood and stone house, built in the late thirties. It had a pretty good sized yard with some nice trees to climb. It had a very large living room and a formal parlor. All very high ceilings, as they were built back then. It had a large kitchen, and strange as it may seem, a bedroom just adjacent to the kitchen. This would become my parents bedroom. It had a bathroom upstairs. Also one bedroom upstairs, which would become my bedroom. Then the basement. Wow what a basement. The floor had black and white tile on the floor, and against one wall a bar! A real bar with all the taps and bar things. It would become a very fun place to play. It was my favorite place in the entire house.
The Lakeview area
Well here we were at the realtors office. I played with an Etch a Sketch whilst mom and dad signed papers. It seemed that they signed papers for hours and hours. But at last they were done signing and we went back home to Wattles Park our current home. It was a done deal. The realtor was also handling the sale of our current home. All that could be done now was to wait for the sale of our home. I was both sad and excited about the move. It is the fear of the unknown you know. Leaving my school and friends and having to make new friends and getting used to a new school. But such is life both then and now. The ability to overcome fear and bravely forge on into the future.
Memories of a Baby Boomer 