What a Small World
I went into Adray Appliance
Photo and Sound on Carlysle to make a couple of picture
prints. A customer in front of me making a large amount of
prints tied up the printer. After waiting my turn in line
for about five minutes, a lady came from behind the
counter and asked how many prints I needed to make. I told
her two. She asked the customer in front of me and the
employee helping him if I could cut in to make two prints.
They both said yes.
During the time the
customer was making his prints I commented how nice they
were. He said the prints were of a family outing in
Vancouver. Then it was my turn and the two prints were
made. A man that the customer knew came to the counter and
asked him how he is doing. He told him he was doing fine
and just retired after 35 years. I paid for my purchase
and was about to walk out when I congratulated him on his
retirement. I asked him what company he retired from. He
said he retired for the Westland School District. I
mentioned that I had a female cousin who taught within the
Westland School District for many years who also recently
retired. He asked her name and I said it was Susan Price.
He looked at me and asked, "are you Craig
Dahlke?" I told him I am. He said, "I'm Bob
Curtis." (Bob taught with my cousin for many years
and is a good friend of mine who I hadn't seen in a long
time). After we shook hands, I told Bob I had to
brag about another cousin of mine. I said her name is
Amanda Ross who graduated Valedictorian of John Glen High
School in Westland in June, 2001. She is now attending
college out of state.
In years past, Bob lived in
the third house Southwest of the Military/Cherry Hill
intersection with his parents Bill and Eleanor and his
younger brother David. For any of you that knew the
Curtis', Bill died 19 years ago and Eleanor (90 years
young) lived in the home for 63 years before moving to
Henry Ford Village about two years ago. Bob told me he has
lived on Princeton for many years and just moved to Morley
Manor. He has a business called "rwcurtis Arts &
Artifacts" at 98 Cavanaugh Lake Rd, in Chelsea, MI.
Bob told me has Lionel trains from the 1940s and is
looking for a party to sell them to.
I stated that I remember
his mother was quite upset about the home being torn down
next door. This is the fourth home Southwest of the
Military/Cherry Hill intersection. The original home was
built, in the thirties or forties when financial problems
resulted from the Great Depression and World War II.
Various homes in Dearborn were allowed to be built as
garage homes. In other words, they resembled a garage and
were small and sat toward the rear of a lot. Some still
remain in Dearborn to this day.
This particular home was
well maintained and sat near the back of the lot. The
front yard was quite large. The city had a clause that
this home could be occupied until the owner died and then
it had to be torn down. Eleanor Curtis worked with the
city to purchase the lot. It almost went through when the
city asked her what she was going to build on the lot.
Mrs. Curtis told the city that she has lived in her home
for sixty years with a clear view West on Cherry Hill and
wanted to continue the same view in the future. The city
offered her the lot for a nominal fee and she said she
would buy it. After a while, the city raised the price to
an exorbitant amount and she said she would buy it. In the
end, the city refused to sell her the lot. It was sold to
the present owner who built a beautiful brick home on it.
Bob said his mother became good friends with the new
owners but never got over the fact that the city refused
to sell her the lot.
The Curtis story goes back
to the founding days of the Country Club Estates
Subdivision. There was a very large group of women both
within and near the subdivision. These ladies were card
players and played cards once a week for nearly fifty
years in many of the homes within our subdivision. The
custom was to fill up one's living room and dining room or
basement with card tables and chairs for the women to play
cards. The only two ladies still living from this group
are Eleanor Curtis and Evelyn Ropes. Many of these women
were early members of the Garden Club, WADOS, Dearborn
Historical Society, and many other groups. They were
responsible, as a group, for pushing many of our school
policies, early busing, subdivision home harmony, etc.
These two remaining ladies are the last remnants of a
golden era.
Bob and I both recalled
seeing the subdivision before the first shovel full of
dirt was turned when it was still considered Henry Ford's
property. We talked about the early development within the
subdivision back in 1952. We both
stared into space while thinking back to the good old days
when days were younger. Then, Bob said, "times
change". I said, "yes, they do." I said
goodbye to Bob and asked him to tell his mother that I
said Hi and wished her well.
Craig Dahlke
