today I received an email from marina…

One of the very nice things that happened with us regarding this house was that we met Marina Kruse and Terry Risko. They were the previous owners of the house. We not only bought their lovely home, but also became friends – not something that happens with every financial & sometimes emotional transaction of this caliber.

We still see each other about once a year, either they come to Michigan or we travel down to Florida.

I mentioned to her in an email last month that we were going to have the Christmas Home Tour come through the house and I asked her a few questions. I also gave her the address to my blog.

Apparently, she was reading the blog today and gave me more clues to run with. She told me if I want any information on previous owners, I should contact Ilene Lock. She was close friends with everyone who lived there. The only owners she didn't know were the Stones.

She also told me that indeed the past village president lived in the house. Fred Portwine. And his wife was on the Library Board for a couple of years. Pat and Fred Portwine have retired to Florida. Somewhere she has an address…but that’s all the information I needed. I Googled Eugene Fred Portwine and found him in Florida. I then Googled him for Romeo and found that he was the Village President in 1984 & 1985 according to the Macomb County Directory. He was living in the house at the time of his presidency.

I wrote him a letter and included some of the “fireplace stuff” and also a copy of the Macomb County Directory that listed him as President.

I have sent out a total of 3 letters today to previous owners of our home. I hope to hear back from any and all of them. And I plan to invite Ilene over for lunch or dinner in the near future and find out what she knows.