A House By the Lake
Posted by brian from www.popularmechanics.com
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A cool little story about the kit houses that were sold by Sears in the 1950s.
A cool little story about the kit houses that were sold by Sears in the 1950s.
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dewtattoo 7 years, 11 months ago
That was an awesome article. I too watched my father build our family home. My mother still lives in it. Unlike the father in the story though, my father was a contractor and not reading from a Popular Mechanics book. I became a contractor myself, after I lost my father in a traffic accident back in '86.
Thanks for sharing this story. It brought back memories in a weird sort of way. It made me miss my dad, but I've been doing that a lot in my later years.
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Razorback 7 years, 11 months ago
Sorry to hear about your dad. I lost my father 16 years ago to a heart attack that resulted in a single vehicle traffic accident. Way too early for both of us. He never got the chance to see me become the man he wanted me to be. I miss him dearly every day.
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dewtattoo 7 years, 11 months ago
I'm sorry to hear about your dad. My dad's brother had a thunderclap heart attack like your dad. He was also in his vehicle when it happened. Luckily, he wasn't driving. He was a contractor also, and died in his truck at one of his job sites.
How old were you when your dad passed? I was 18 when my dad died. I have 2 younger sisters who were 13 & 12. It was even harder on them.
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Razorback 7 years, 11 months ago
I was 33 when he passed. My folks divorced when I was 5 and my mother moved us away from Arkansas to the NE part of the country. I lived in that area for 12 years and only got to see my dad once a year. So when I moved back at 17, we were able to start reconnecting. Of course, at that age, I was more into cars and girls.
One year later, I moved five hours away to attend college. I was the first in my family to do so and he was always very proud of that achievement. After that, we would only see each other a few times each year, mostly around holidays. At least he got to see me marry, graduate from college, purchase my first home and get my career started. All things he wanted for me.
Even at 33, you don't really think about your parents passing away. He was only 55 at the time. But he had been born with a severe heart condition and the doctors said it was just a matter of time. I just thought we would have more of it together.
Moral of the story: Enjoy every minute you can with the ones you love.
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dewtattoo 7 years, 11 months ago
That's a great moral to live by.
My dad was 39 when he died. I am now 9 years older than the memory of my father. Turning 40 was an emotional experience for me. I surpassed Dad.
It's true what you said about being 17. We are more into cars and chasing girls than spending time with our families. I had just started coming out of that phase and reconnecting with my dad on a real "buddy" level when he died. He never got to see me get married (or the subsequent divorce 20-years later, LOL). I never had kids, but he did miss both of my sisters having all of their kids and he didn't get to walk them down the isle. I ended up playing that roll.
I'm glad you got to spend the time with him that you did. I'm sure he was a proud dad.
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Razorback 7 years, 11 months ago
For those interested in the types of houses Sears sold from 1908-1940, you can view the models, prices and floor plans via the link below. Just click on any date range at the left.
http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm">http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm
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