And Then There Were Four

Originally Written Between 2016-2017                                

 

St. Paul, Minnesota.  Fall of 1966.  Norm, Mary, and their three-month old infant boy, Michael, just moved into their very first home -- a wonderful three-bedroom, one bathroom, big, white house on the southwest corner of Ashland and Fairview. They were so happy – starting a new family in a beautiful home.

 

Norm’s father, Clarence, had been widowed seven years and was getting up there in age with the normal aches and pains.  He was 71 years old.  He recently had two separate hip replacements and couldn’t handle being alone in his own big two-story home.  I keep thinking:  I’ll be 71 this week, I’ve had two hip replacements, and I live in a big two-story townhome.  I thought Clarence was old then.  What are my kids thinking of me now?

 

Anyway, Clarence was in the process of selling his home.  The problem?  Where does he go?    Norm and Mary had a very long discussion as to what they could do to help Clarence with his predicament.  And, to make a long story short, Clarence moved in with Norm, Mary, and Michael.  

 

Clarence brought three things to the Ashland/Fairview house:  A washer and dryer and his secretary desk.  The washer and dryer went into the basement and his secretary desk ended up in Clarence’s bedroom.  He loved that desk.  Besides watching television and taking walks around the block, he would spend the rest of his time sitting at the desk.  Working on his financial papers and checkbook.  He didn’t have all that much money; but, for some reason he would pore over his personal papers for hours on end.

 

Clarence had arthritis and had trouble opening up his desk.  So, he simply drilled a hole in the door that folds down and put a rope in the hole so he could just pull it.  He didn’t have many visitors in his room so it didn’t bother him.  At least he could open and close his desk and he was happy.

 

After two years, four months, and two days, Clarence moved into his other son’s home because Norm and Mary were expecting another baby and needed the bedroom.  Clarence lived with Bill and Maria and their five children (they had a bigger house) for another two years.  Next, he moved into his daughter, Catherine’s, home – along with her husband, Jack and their three children.  After another two years, Clarence went into an assisted living facility.  

 

Each time he moved, his secretary desk traveled with him.  Yes, the one with the rope that acted as a handle.  When Clarence died, Norm and Mary inherited the secretary desk.  It truly was a beautiful desk – except for the rope.  So, Norm went to Menards and bought a knob to put in the hole.  The desk moved from Clarence’s assisted living facility to our home in Spring Lake Park and now it’s in our home in Coon Rapids.  

 

We really don’t use it as a desk so much anymore – mostly for storage and displaying keepsakes.  But, whenever I do open up the desk – or dust it – I think of Clarence and how he loved and used his desk every single day.  It’s over 85 years old and I hope it will remain in the McGraw family for many more years to come.