July 14, 2015: I went to visit the Merkley Homestead, rural Claremont, MN. The father of the family who had been living there died of cancer and the house went into foreclosure. The side door was open so I was able to go inside. The first thing that struck me was how much smaller it was, especially, the kitchen and the dining room where we all gathered together for Sunday diners at least once a month. Grama Merk would have had us there every Sunday if she could have managed it!
I'm going to try my best to get the pictures posted here in the order I took them. But, first, I'll attach pictures of the way it was. When she was in school, my daughter, Angie, had a girlfriend, Jody Judy, who lived here and she had been here. She said the barn collapsed and they burned one of the sheds that was falling down. In the picture, below, the barn is centrally located, directly across from the circle drive. Grandpa never had milk cows. I only remember there being 'wild' kittens in that barn and straw. I remember the row of red buildings, I swear it was a quarter of a mile long. There was a gravel road that ran the length of it and at the end of that road was a rock pile that my brother, Mark, and I used to play at. There was also a pile of logs and we were allowed to use them to make outlines of houses as long as we put them back where we got them before we left the area.
The house was demolished two days later. So glad I got to visit before it vanished!
When this picture was taken the big tree in front of the house must have already have been removed. It was a huge shade tree that is seen in many summer pictures when we often ate outdoors. The white picket fence surrounded (on three sides) Grama's pride and joy, her flower garden (tons of pictures were taken of Grama and her relatives in that garden). The metal railing that you can see on the second floor surrounded a metal roof, there was a door that lead out to it. This had been removed.
The circle drive, you can see that not only is the barn missing but only one small building remains (to the right).
The house looked pretty much the same from the outside, visible changes: cream-colored siding; sliding doors off the kitchen (they probably had a deck at one time). Not sure what that over-hang is about?
We always used the front door. To the right is the kitchen. To the left, the basement; a dark and scary place to us kids; the original bathroom was down there, after the upstairs bathroom was addd the men used the basement to clean-up when they came in from chores. Next to a chair there was a molded, insect (like a 'locust') cast-iron boot remover, super creepy!
Grama's Kitchen. Her cupboards, always white, painted brown (yuk!)
from left to right: Great-Grama Merkley; Grama Sams; Auntie Wilma Campbell.
The Dining Room. They removed the open-archway that separated the Dining Room from the Living Room and added a ceiling fan (a common way to 'modernize' a room).
The Living Room. Pretty much the same.
The Master Bedroom Grandpa and Grama added, downstairs, off the living room. I didn't take a picture of the bathroom because it was awful; guess they were in the process of remodeling...
View of the Dining Room as I leave the Living Room. Part of the Dining Room wall was removed (you can see the front door) but didn't finish the project (like adding a railing of some sort); they also put fake brick on the walls and added a picture window. I was glad to see no one had painted the solid oak staircase, the most beautiful feature of the house.
Going upstairs, more of that beautiful oak!
I remember the built-in cabinet. Underneath it, Grama had cardboard flour barrels (with the metal-ring closures) where she kept clothing scraps for making quilts. The door to the right was the original master bedroom. I spent many a night in that cozy room. I didn't take a picture because of the angle and the sunlight.
The room at the top of the stairs. They removed the wall to the small room that was Uncle Demp's room. Wow! I remember that it was small; mostly just his single bed and a narrow oak cabinet (with a glass door) that contained Grama's salt and pepper collection. I noticed there was no window in his tiny room.
The closet in that room, contained a yellow plastic laundry basket with toys. There was a tin of buttons for mending that was the most entertaining thing in the house! Some had rhinestones imbedded in them. Also, all the doors in the original part of the house were solid oak with the brass door knobs and key hole.
I was disappointed that the metal roofed 'deck' (I don't know what they called it in those days) was gone and there was only grass where Grama's garden had been.
The landing. The beige carpet was thread-bare in spots but I swear it had not been replaced since Grama left in 1969-70 after Grandpa died. The carpet was wool made using those short, tight loops.
Going down the stairs. There was an oak bookcase (a local man made it for Grama, he made several solid oak pieces for her, including bedside dressers using tong-and-groove [not nails] for the drawers).
The circle drive looked better from this angle. Only one sturdy building to be seen. I thought it might have been Grama's hen-house; brother, Jim, thinks more likely a grain shed.
Close-up view of the shed.
I'm walking down what remains of the gravel road when I notice an opening in the trees; I've discovered the row of red buildings I mentioned in my introduction (refer to the aerial picture). Brother, Jim, says Grandpa used to put a fresh coat of paint on one building every year.
Note: all these buildings are attached to each other; this was common amongst German farmers; in the 'old country' the barn was attached to the house, the heat from the animals helped keep the house warm (and provide an extra layer of protection from the elements). Jim says this first building housed the car; note, the sliding door.
Next, housing for farm machinery, etc.
Chicken Coop
The row continues. I'm sure Grandpa had pigs...
I'm back to the gravel; it's overgrown with chest-high weeds and vines. I was trying to locate the rock pile but I had to give up. I saw this covered shelter, I thought Grandpa built it for the cattle but Jim said it was for machinery.
Here they are standing in front of Grama's flower garden. Grandpa with that "look-of-love" that I've seen in so many pictures of them together!
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