Venturing Through the Fires of Life

A wonderful season in my life came to an end as I let go of the last scrap of aluminum from an old  farm store complex. On October 9, 2021, a raging fire destroyed all four buildings which were originally a farmer-owned co-op  in Mount Angel. 

No longer in use by farmers, the building had  been  purchased by my brother, Bob. He spent years getting just the right renters with successful businesses: an antique mall, Hiddenbed of Oregon, Timber Stoves, and KP's  Harvest Time Products. The income from those leases was to be his retirement income. Bob was nearing his move to Oregon so we could live close to each other and enjoy gardening, playing pinochle, and dining together. He was a great cook! Three months after the fire, Bob passed away. 

The businesses were devastated by the conflagration and our family had to have the property cleaned up and sold. 

We managed to gather some scraps of aluminum from the old grain towers. A local Mount Angel lady, Tammy Plummer, painted pictures of the building on some of them and flags on others. We sold them as a fundraiser for a school. With deep sadness I released the last one from the tight grasp of my hands.

This is the end of memorable years of running an Oktoberfest parking lot, enjoying Bob's visits, and seeing that historic grain tower competing for attention with the church spire in that old German town.