SIX & The BUILDER of the Hideaway…
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Book #6 of Hazel Twigg & the Hollyhock Hideaway is up for auction! You can find it HERE.
It was the best after-Christmas present a girl – this girl, at least – could receive.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know how much I love my home. I even made it a main character in my book! In the past, I searched in vain for a picture of this house from long ago. Our wonderful little local library has historical books galore, full of Rolfe’s history. Alas, there was not a single picture of the house on Pine Street to be found. At least, that’s what I thought.
A dear neighbor named Gloria G. purchased four copies of “Hazel Twigg & the Hollyhock Hideaway” to give as gifts to relatives. One of those relatives, we shall call her Clara, for that is her name, posted on the Rolfe Community School page on Facebook that she’d received the book and was looking forward to reading it. Other Rolfe Alumni chimed in, one thing led to another, and a nice woman named Kim posted this:
My house! My house! In the earliest photo you could possibly get! The photo above was taken before the stucco, with it’s unusual texture, was applied. The very stucco I’ve tried to replicate it with hypertufa.
One of the main things I love about my house is the attic, even though for the past several years I rarely go there. Rarely during the day, and NEVER at night. But reader, I went up there yesterday, camera in hand for a very specific purpose.
When we first moved here, before the fear took hold, I used to spend a lot of time in the attic. To me it looked like the stuff of movies, and I found it a charming place with lots to see. It wasn’t hard to notice that there was some writing on the wall, high above the window:
Can’t see it? Look closer:
C.C. Seifert! Builder, 1913! Here’s the caption from the photo:
A face to go with the name! I did a little research, and I found out a little more about Mr. Seifert. He was born in 1863 and died less than 10 years after this house was built. He’s buried in our local cemetery south of town. His tombstone is very unique:
The first chance I get, when the weather gets warmer, I’m going to traipse on down to the cemetery and find that tombstone. It shouldn’t be hard, now that I know what it looks like. Thank you, Rolfe Community School!
PLEASE NOTE: We’re having some difficulties with Amazon. Until we can get them ironed out (they are harsh taskmasters!) the book will be for sale on ebay. Both signed, and unsigned. Get your copy now! Tell your friends!
Which brings us to book #6 in the countdown of the first ten copies of Hazel Twigg & the Hollyhock Hideaway.
You can probably guess, but answer’s below.
For each post about each book, I think of what comes to mind for that particular number, and I put it in the “gallery” photo. I had my gallery picture with its connection to #6 ready to go and everything!
But I’ve changed my mind. Instead, I’m dedicating #6 to the Builder of the Hideaway, and shall make a small notation as such. Just a little one, on the cover page. Because I think it’s worth noting.
Speaking of worth noting, book #7 was won by…my brother Kenny, who was born exactly 100 years after Mr. Seifert! From the very beginning, when we decided we wanted to auction these first 10 books off, he said, “I want number 7!” I suspect it’s because as I mentioned in my last post, seven is a very important number in our family. Thank you, Ken! And congrats!
With that, I leave you! Happy Monday! Go Packers! Unless you don’t like the Packers, of course. Then it would be, Go Whichever Team You Like Best If You Like Football!
You’re my favorite! I’m sure you knew that already…
#6 Gallery: Haley Joel Osment from the movie, “The Sixth Sense.” I watched it YEARS after it was made and still didn’t know the surprise at the end until it happened. My mind was blown! As was everyone elses, I’m sure! Mine was just blown a little later, is all.
D5 Creation
I grew up in Rolfe and know exactly where your home is located. I lived in the house on the NW corner of Garfield and main street. My family owned the McIntire Funeral Home for years and my Dad (Leland McIntire) set the markers and monuments at the cemetery. I can’t wait to read your books.
Is that the current funeral home? I love the lion! Which street do you consider to be main street? I’m trying to guess which house you grew up in, but always thought of Garfield as main street.
Thank you, Rose! Hope you enjoy my book!
Ruth
Your post about your home is so cool! Loved the idea of the “search” for its past. I too once lived in a vintage house and was always thrilled when digging in the flower beds and would come across children’s small toys, marbles, etc. Even a small hand print and date in a cement stoop that had been added later by my then elderly neighbor.
Keep writing and celebrating!!!
OHMYGOODNESS, you make me want to dig right now! I’m always looking at my yard and trying to speculate where a cistern might have been. In fact, in a future book there’s going to be just that very thing, with something very special dug up.
How very neat, the treasures you found! Yessirree, I can now see myself developing a green thumb, now that I have motivation…
Thank you so much, Denise!
Ruth
I LUV these kind of discoveries! HOORAY!!!
Me too, Wandy. Me too…in fact, I was just thinking I’d like to somehow get a print and a frameration of the picture of the builder and put it on my living room wall. Hmm….
Thank you!
Ruth
Hi Ruth! Well, how wonderful that you now have the History of your BEAUTIFUL, Charming Home! It’s a great story & I love that like anything you now have the provenance of it! Beautiful tombstone that you will find indeed! A place to sit & rest, how cool! Loving the book & I am savoring each chapter! Wonder when I’ll send it to my niece? LOL! Hugs, & You’re MY favorite! Sue Ann
Greetings Sue Ann, and Happy New Year! It’s too cold and icy to visit the cemetery right this second, but I’ll get there! Hope when you finish reading the book it makes you want to clamor for more!
Your poor, poor niece…
Cheers!
Ruth
Very nice photo! May I use it on my website?? I just checked in with your blog today and was so surprised to see an update on the house.
Seifert was a carpenter in town. My research on your Sears house showed that the owner who hired Seifert was Jerome Hollenbeck. He only lived in the house a year… his wife died and he moved out in late 1914. Sad!
Lara! Absolutely, you can!
Can I use your comment in my next post, which will have odds and ends in it? Also, when you do your post, could you let me know and can I mention it here? I’m trying to be better at such things.
Glad you checked back in, your timing couldn’t have been better! It should have occurred to me to let you know. Ah, well! Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Thanks and let me know!
Ruth