Jimbo's Jots

1118 Springfield Road, East Peoria, IL 61611. That’s that house we grew up in . . . me and my six siblings. There were a few dogs and cats there too. And of course Mom and Dad. That house was a great house!

Mom and Dad bought the house in the early 60’s. By then, it was already at least a 30 year old farm house. The original layout was a front entrance into a living room/parlor. Off of that was one bedroom for a couple of the sisters. Then you entered the dining room and off of that was another bedroom for more sisters. You then went into the kitchen and again, a third bedroom off of that which my brother and I shared with mom and dad. Having said that, did I mention there were nine of us living in this house? By the time, I can remember, there was always a project that dad was doing to change the layout to accommodate 9, then 8 people. So, he went up – built a new staircase and created a 4 bedroom floor plan upstairs. This is where the girls were. My brother and I moved into the “middle” bedroom off of the dining room. We lived it that house for 47 years until we sold it.

When it was sold in 2009, there was too much work to be done on it to keep it. Dad had long given up the plan to renovate another part of the house due to his health. When he passed away that year, mom said it was time to sell. “Too big for her to keep up with,” she said. Thankfully, someone did buy and like Chip and Joanna Gaines, took and fixed it up. This is what it looked like afterwards: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1118-Springfield-Rd-East-Peoria-IL-61611/5312676_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare. Until this past weekend!

My niece sent word that on Saturday, April 29 at 6:00 pm, the 1118 Springfield Road house had a fire. Too much damage and the house was destroyed. With sadness, my siblings and our kids began to retell the stories of that house. As I reflect, it was the finding my way home after playing in the woods behind the house, working in the garden and reaping the harvest, the family meals together, helping dad hit the nails (and sometimes his thumb) while building the barn behind the house. Oh my!! Such wonderful memories! It was also the conversations we had, the songs we used to sing together, Christmases, Thanksgivings. Walking in the door after being away to college, and turning around a few weeks later to head back for the next semester.

I always looked forward to pulling in to that driveway. 1118 Springfield Road, East Peoria, IL 61611 will always be a place of going home. And now that Dad, Mom, Janet and Susie have all passed away. We know they are waiting for us to welcome us along with God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. We long for the day when we will all be going home!

Be blessed and be a blessing!