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Roy Gilbert Ackerman House - Tower Hill Road, Sawyer, Michigan (1962 - 1990)
Gib built his last house on Tower Hill Road in Sawyer with the help of a few friends and his sons-in-law Ted Branson and Bud Christopher. Gib and Lillian bought land on Tower Hill Road, Lots 51 & 52, in the new Near Lake Subdivision, as reported in the Herald Press in the January 6th edition and with the County Register of Deeds. Notice the price of the sale is listed as $1, this was a common practice as you can see on many of the deeds I have posted on this site. The cost of the two lots seems to be @$10,000, or at least that is the amount Gib and Lillian took out for the mortgage (see transfer of the mortgage from New Buffalo Savings & Loan to Hastings Savings & Loan in 1963).
Gib and Lillian lived in Nana's place while she was in Florida that winter while Gib began working to prepare the construction of their home. They placed the trailer that they had been traveling with on the property in 1962 (first photo). The house was built in sections beginning with the first section completed in 1963 laid on top of the trailer cement slab. Gib placed a split-rail fence that encircled the south and west boundaries, along with a privacy fence on the northwest corner of the property around the septic tank.
The kitchen was really small and tight with a built-in stove and range - see 1982 photo in slideshow below. The dining area was small also with a buffet for everyday silverware and dishes and a China cabinet that housed the silverware and fine dishes, along with a dining table. The living room had a high ceiling with shelves at the top for knickknacks. Gib had a big green chair and Lillian had a soft high back one that swiveled. There was a green couch/hide-a-bed for the grandchildren when they visited. A windup clock sat on the fireplace mantel while his ship wheel mirror hung on the wall. The windows were unique in that there were nine windows in three rows on each side of the living room. There was a front door, which was seldom used, in the living room - it was a Dutch door, opening in halves. A small bathroom was on the right side as you walked down the hallway to the bedroom. There was a laundry room on the left side just before you entered the bedroom. The bedroom had two twin beds, dressers and two closets. Gib added an antenna tower early on just like he had in Harbert because he loved TV (for those younger among us that is how we used to receive TV signals through the air, the higher the antenna meant the better the reception and more channels). His favorite show was "Gunsmoke," while Lil favored "Lawrence Welk."
He added the garage connected by a breezeway between the house and garage in 1964-65 (see sixth photo - notice space between the house and the garage if you look closely - this photo was taken after 1967 blizzard). The garage had a small bedroom in the front facing the house. He screened-in the breezeway @1967 creating a three-season family room. In 1971, he was almost finished closing in the breezeway to complete a year-round family room before he passed away suddenly from a heart attack in October 1971. Ted Branson finished the family room, hung a ceiling.
Lillian lived in the home until she sold it on August 8, 1989 for @$50,000 (see entry in her savings book and sale recorded with Berrien County Register of Deeds). Lillian moved to Gobles in August 1989. She had the house painted green in the late 70s. You will see photos from 1982 and 2024 in the slideshow below (In 1982, Larry went through the house and took photos of most of the rooms). Note the "Ackerman's" sign he made to hang in front of the house in the fourth and fifth photos (I still have that sign). The drawing illustrating the house was drawn by Ted Branson, his son-in-law. I've made notations throughout the slideshow pointing out various parts of the house or interesting observations that may spark some memories for you.
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