Childhood memories revisited

Ramone J. Willits visited the old stone building and I audio taped an interview with her. Rae was born on the property in 1949 and remembers sweeping the stone floor and hiding in the old stone building. She said the North room was first used by her great grandfather (Willis A. Colman, who purchased the farm from John A. Kelly in 1902) as a smoke house to cure their meat, the middle room was the “shop” that had a forge and a large anvil and the South room was used as a chicken coop.

Rae is holding a picture her father (Harold Willits) painted of the old farmstead prior to the house burning in 1951. Rae is standing by the gate way that went into the garden.