Grover House Memories

On the way home from our hike to the intermittent springs up Swift Creek Canyon in Star Valley, Alesa asked if we could stop and see the Grover house where we lived when I was little.
What a walk down memory lane. It looks as though it has been vacant for a number of years, it reminds me of when Christy and I would walk up to the old house that used to be between Wests and us. The kitchen cabinets are still pink and you can see the pink paint on the walls in the dining room under the peeling paint. The candy stripe carpet is still in the bedroom downstairs, however the room itself has shrunk, in fact the whole house has shrunk, in fact the whole yard has shrunk. The basement has changed the least, it is still a scary, dark, damp place and probably still has spiders, frogs and other such slimy things, although I didn't go further than the stairs. I always liked to have the support of Christy when I went down there and she wasn't with me on Saturday.
The best part was going up stairs to the closet in the hall and showing Alesa the "elevator" on the back of the closet door. Christy and I drew buttons for the different floors so we could ride the "elevator". That was a big deal for country girls who only saw an elevator when we went to Idaho Falls or Salt Lake.
It was kind of sad to see the place in such a state of disrepair. I wanted Alesa to feel it as I remembered it, clean and inviting, smelling of homemade bread and rice pudding, with the lawn all mowed, clothes flapping in the breeze and Mom's irises in bloom. I thought it was a happy place to grow up.



Terry Jr. comment:
Your email tugged at my emotions, and I didn’t even grow up in the Grover house. However, I probably spent more time at it than any other grandchild. I always had the impression that the house was larger than it really is! I remember having milk and bread at the kitchen table after a long day riding or working with Granddad, the boys room upstairs, the party line phone, the creepy basement, and the inviting mud room as you entered the house from the back with Granddad’s boots and cowboy hat. I remember the garage with a fuel pump and the buggy upstairs and the big truck that granddad hauled the horses. The swing-set and laundry lines in the yard.



It provides great memories.




Jeff Bagley comment:
Liza: I remember that basement as a little boy. In fact, it was the inspiration for a television campaign I did for a client when I first started my career down in Phoenix for a homebuilder. They were building “livable basements” not the scary ones you knew as a kid. I got a voice talent from LA who did all the scary movie trailers to be the voice on the campaign. It won “Best of Show” in the Addy awards that year.

All those places in that house that you describe I can remember as well. You can imagine how that place felt for a “city slicker” like me.

Thanks for the memories,

Jeff

Korinne Bagley Nelson comment:
Thanks Liza,

Trisha and I walked through the house a year ago and it did strink. We have happy memories there.

Rob Bagley comment:
Fun to hear. I lived in the Grover house for awhile as a child. Neat memories there.

Merissa Comment:
If it appears vacant...why don't we buy it and restore it?! We could use it as a Bagley vacation home that everyone could use. :)

Patsy comment:
Hi, I remember the Grover house also with fond memories as Jerry and I and Korinne and Trisha and John lived there for two winters. I can remember the huge ice cycles that fringed the house during the cold times. Being from California, I couldn't believe the sight. It was pretty when the sun shined through and they sparkled....and dripped. I loved the ward. I was called to be the vollyball coach for the young women. We almost won the stake tournament, but took second. I was totally awed that I could do that, but it was fun and rewarding.

John Bagley Comment:
The Grover house has many good and bad memories for me. Mother had left her home in Etna and that was very hard for her. Dad had the big ranch and he loved it.
The Meadow was wonderful. The barn was not so great. Our horses, Mac – Bobby- Skip great times.
When the Wirthlens were killed and mother couldn’t say family prayer for a couple of months that was hard.
Errol and I with Christy and Liza in the one room up stairs so that Julie could have here own room as a senior was ok.
Errol playing the piano at 5 in the morning was pleasant to wake up to , but know that dad was going to have me do the choirs was not as good.
Family prayer kneeling around the table on the blue floor as a very comforting time.
Living there alone my Sr. year I enjoyed. I don’t advise it for others!
Jerry and Patsy staying there, with Korrine and Trisha sleeping in my room was great times. They were so cute and fun.
Getting of the school bus and knowing what was for supper because you could smell it. Knowing that mom was home.
Knowing how much they cared for us and how hard Dad worked to provide for us.
Worrying when dad was late coming home, afraid that something was wrong. Watching the road for lights.
We have a great heritage. Mom and Dad left us with roots, wings and a testimony of what is right.
It is our lot to live as they lived and to be as honest as they were in all that did.
That my family is a tall order. John

Comment from David Bagley
Unfortunately I only have one memory of that house and that is when I was roughly 5 we were there and Grandad let me ride one of the horses. What a thrill that was and a little scary. All I remember is that the horses were huge and I was a little scared and Grandad just through me on.

I feel jipped that I did not get to grow up knowing Grandad!

Comment from Korinne:
John likes to tell the story of when he lived with my family in the Grover home. For some reason, Trisha, John and I all shared the same bedroom. Trisha and I both slept in cribs and one morning John woke up to an argument between Trisha and I.....

Trisha was saying, "My John!" and then I would correct her by saying, "No! My John!"

John has felt important ever since.

...and Trisha, he really is MY John!