My Big House

Back in 1944 my grandparents bought an enormous house in a small town in north Texas. A town my great grandparents had settled in back in the 1880's. The home had been built in 1898 by a Barron from Wiesbaden Germany (Ernest Arnoldi 1850-1915) who had moved to America in hopes of hunting buffalo. The home was on Grand Avenue (a grand avenue indeed) and was a showplace that took up four city lots. My mother, the oldest daughter of ten children ,was married and lived in the servants quarters (a small house in the backyard). I was born when my parents lived here. Sold in the 1950's and sadly torn down...it was forever referred to by my Grandmother as "MY BIG HOUSE".

About twelve years ago I asked a cousin, who paints, to please paint a picture of The Big House for me, as very few photographs existed. I actually only had a tattered old newspaper article for her to go by. My cousin Eloise started the painting and was about a third of the way finished and sadly died.

This year I finally came to own the unfinished painting...and had a local artist and friend finish it. It now proudly hangs in my guestroom. A masterpiece...probably not...but to me it is priceless..