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Rose Alvida Larsen House - Harbert Road, Sawyer, Michigan (1929-1963)
Rose (Nana) had her home built in 1929 on Harbert Road in Harbert just west of Red Arrow Highway (today it is on the corner of Harbert Road and Johnson Road). The house had two floors and a basement. The basement had a shower and each of the upper floors had a bathroom. Nana added a garage in 1930. She lived in the home until her death in 1963.
Nana originally was going to have a wide staircase coming into the living room but decided on a narrower staircase and added a third door on the side of the house so she could rent the upstairs. Occasionally, she lived upstairs using a hotplate for making food while she rented out downstairs of the home while she was still in Harbert. Most of the winters Nana lived in Florida at her second home in Bradenton (see last picture of the slideshow) near her brother Norm Larsen. Aunt Patty remembers it feeling weird to have other people live in Nana's house, especially when Nana was in town and living upstairs.
Unfortunately, we don't have many photos of the inside of Nana's home, just some pictures of her dining room from the family gatherings she held there. Notice the painting of the Dutch port on the left side of the dining room. Karen (mom) inherited the painting and gave it to Dayle sometime @2000. I made copies of the painting and have it hanging in my living room, as does Aunt Patty. I have included a photo of the painting in its current condition at Dayle's and the copy I made. If anyone wants to print his or her own copy let me know I have the file in a size that can be printed 30"x 20".
In 2001, Karen (Mom) described the house: "She had a large two story house she had built in 1930. It had four bedrooms, a sun porch, a large living room and dining room and small kitchen. She also had a two car garage with a high pitched roof. The trim was dark green. She had a front porch and back porch with seating. It was a very nice house."
You will also notice a photo of Nana sitting in her chair with a pillow that reads "KAN DU GLEMME GAMLE NORGE." The gamle Norge is hidden but that is what was sewn onto the pillow. Translated it means "Can you forget old Norway." I have a photo of the pillow I found on the Web so you can see the full pillow. Rose was very proud of her Norwegian heritage as was her daughter Lil.
Patty and Karen loved living next door to Nana. Both were really close to their grandmother, they traveled and spent much time together living right next door for so many years. Nana worked hard and it was remarkable that she was able to build her own home and buy one in Florida also.
Nana's best friend, Mrs. Strom, lived next door to Nana, to the east. They loved to play pinochle and Nana would host card parties with her friends. Patty and Karen helped out occasional with the parties when they were children. Nana also loved her cars. She enjoyed the freedom of being able to travel where she wanted. She usually rode the bus or traveled with the Ackermans to Florida and Texas but always had her car while in Harbert. See photo in slideshow below.
Patty and Ted Branson bought the home in 1963. Ted and Patty added a deck to the front entrance of the house. They lived in the home for the most part until 1980 with a brief stay in Calumet City, Indiana from 1965-67? On August 28, 1980, they moved to Buffalo, New York. The Bransons kept the house until they sold it in 1987. The back of the house and garage have not changed much since Nana built the home - she had a cellar and small porch. The screened in porch to the side of the house was added I believe after the Branson's sold the home to the Dinks in '87. There used to be a small alcove on the side where the screened in porch is now. I have included a photo of a drawing Ted made of the Nana/Branson house.
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