Part 1..Mom's house has been sold!

For those that know the Wellman family, it has been a long wait for the right people to come along and love mom's house as we do. Thanks to Jane and Teresa who live next door, that time finally came! Jane invited us down for lunch and a tour of the place, talking about their work there and future plans of the house and property. ( possibly as a guest house) She is a wonderful cook by the way. We had burgers, broccoli/cauliflower salad, watermelon and home made carrot cake..the best I have ever eaten!

Here we are, on our way to see moms house...in the rain!( so exciting!!)

Jane said they spent all week removing brush and overgrown trees from the front yard to "open up" and let the house breath, plus power washed and scrubbed all the green algae from the siding , and Teresa put on a new basement door. The pictures show there is much work to do, but no doubt and thanks to Jane and Teresa, Grandma's home will one day take on a new life! Yippeee!

I think the house is smiling at us! <>

Awwww...look ! flowers are still blooming at Grandma's!

Jane, Helen and Cindy ( and Jane's friendly doggie! )

After a few years agonizing over the sale of mom's house and seeing it deteriorate so, my family was thrilled when moms good neighbors announced they were buying the house. As many of you know already, this is a very old and historic home of Lee Country, Built by the town's first doctor in 1837. (History write up on this blog site here)

As we visited yesterday we couldn't help but notice the amount of work and love they have invested in their home. Mom's house sits right next door to theirs and much of the stone work is similar, being built around the same time. They "go together well" . Mom would be thrilled! Right now however, clearing up the brush, trees, weeds from years of neglect, are badly needed and will take them a couple years to restore the yard alone. the house was power washed, removing all the old green mossy growth and looks so better already. How very hard these gals have worked so far! I will keep you updated on grandmas house...better yet, maybe Jane will start a blog on this adventure!

The new owners live here in this wonderful older

Italian styled home.( and yes, it is slap gorgeous inside!!)

See how the stone matches what mom had on her house? Mom's place was originally two rooms and served as home and office for Dr Adams. Jane's larger home was Originally inhabited by La Forge and then Shaw's, I think.The walls are two foot thick, as the smaller house is, with seats in all the windows. Congratulations on your purchase Jane and Teresa! I will post their blog site should Jane get one going ...she has so much history and restoration knowledge, I know you all will want to hear about!

A Message from Stephanie

"This is the home that four generations of my mother's family had lived in in Lee Center, IL. It was built in 1837 and was the home of Dr. Adams, a well-known physician and Illinois statesman. Trapdoors leading to the basement were found by my grandfather in the original stone part of the house and it's suspected they were either a means to escape hostile parties that roamed the area at that time such as the Banditti or possibly the home had connections with the Underground Railroad which hid escaped slaves making their journey north for freedom. (My grandfather later built an addition to the original house as well as the garage behind it).My grandparents settled into the home when they were married in 1927 and raised 5 children. Numerous family photos reflect the happiness that the house contained...holiday dinners, bridal and baby showers, plays and sleepovers with grandchildren, outdoor gatherings, visits from family, neighbors, and friends. The home was sold in 2003, a couple of years before my grandmother passed away and unfortunately, the home and its grounds fell into neglect, disrepair, and eventually abandonment by its owners.Recently, it was purchased by a neighboring couple who are currently working on clearing away the yard debris and will eventually restore the home.These pictures are the first time I've seen the home since it was sold. I spent much of my childhood here in the summertime, playing with the neighborhood kids and helping my grandmother take care of her yard. It was a welcoming and beautiful place to visit and experience growing up. My grandmother was an avid gardener and well known for her beautiful flowers and large vegetable gardens. My cousins and I used to go down in the raspberry patches to pick berries. She loved to bake and while she lived there, the house had the permanent smell of baked sweet rolls and bread. In the 70's after my grandfather passed away, she opened her home to the public as a craft consignment shop which she ran successfully for over 10 years. The house not only served as a family home but for many years, the original stone part was a post office until my grandfather retired as the Post Master for Lee Center.I can't help but look at this and feel an overwhelming mixture of sadness and nostalgia for it because everything I remembered of it is now gone or destroyed."
Location: Lee Center IL