“THE PAST IS NOT THE PROPERTY OF HISTORIANS; IT IS A PUBLIC POSSESSION. IT BELONGS TO ANYONE WHO IS AWARE OF IT, AND IT GROWS BY BEING SHARED. IT SUSTAINS THE WHOLE SOCIETY, WHICH ALWAYS NEEDS THE IDENTITY THAT ONLY THE PAST CAN GIVE.”

-         WALTER HAVIGHURST

There is so much rich history in Gratiot County. Have you ever thought to really (I mean really!) investigate and run down that rabbit hole? During Covid, the Alma Record and I became good friends. I used to spend many nights (and still do) with my face glued to the computer screen searching for anything and everything about historical sites, people, and information of the history of Gratiot County. It seemed to solve my restlessness when I found it difficult to sleep. As I get older, I realize others do this too (lack of sleeping = do research). At work we joke about texting each other at 3am because one of us will most likely be awake!

 Although, I was not the person with whom Aleatha Foote spoke to on that sunny Saturday morning at the Alma Farm Market, I am truly honored to be given the permission to share her story.

-         Conversation with Aleatha Foote

One sunny Saturday at the Alma Farm Market, Aleatha Foote stepped up to the Wright House Restoration vendor booth with a very generous donation. She noted that it was in memory of her late husband Ken who would have been intrigued with and in support of the restoration of the Wright House. Aleatha agreed to share Ken’s story.

Ken Foote was a past president of the Gratiot County Historical and Genealogical Society (GCHGS). Along with, other past presidents Tom Austin, Bob Brown, Larry Hall, Jack Humm, Gene Pattison, and Willard Wilson (of Willard’s grocery store in Sumner), he and additional members composed a history of the GCHGS called “The First Eighteen Years (1978-1996).” The publication was edited by Lester Eyer and dedicated to Louise Layman Davenport, who was a charter member of the GCHGS.

Ken was one of four original Society people most noteworthy for his contributions in locating and marking places of historical value in the county. He served as Society vice president in 1989 and president 1990-1992. Ken and Willard Wilson photographed nineteen historic sites in Gratiot County, some of which went on to be listed as Gratiot County Historic Sites in the Michigan State Register (Saravilla is one!). Ken also served on the artifacts committee, charged with receiving, cataloguing, and displaying artifacts and records acquired by the museum. With Aleatha, he participated in planning Entertainment on the Lawn events.

Aleatha recalled Ken’s lifelong interest in history. Even on their honeymoon trip to Georgia, Ken insisted on stopping at points of historical interest on their way. In fact, all their subsequent vacations involved historical sites.

Ken and Aleatha were married in 1957 when she was 18 and he was 24. They had met when he had come home on leave and at church services, saw her singing in the choir. After their wedding, they moved to Alma where Ken worked for Montgomery Wards. He also was the manager at the Sears store for many years after which he worked for Morbark Industries. Their son Gary lives in California and is a geologist. Their daughter Cynthia and her husband lived for a few years on the Hopi reservation in Arizona, then moved to Kansas to care for relatives. Aleatha and Ken have three grandsons and eight great-grandchildren. Ken passed away in 2011 and Aleatha, after sixty years, still lives in her Alma home.

I love going to the Farm Market, I have met amazing people over this past summer. Owning a piece of this counties rich history (Saravilla) has introduced me to many wonderful residents of our community. I hear so many fabulous stories about Saravilla and the Wright House, things I never knew and somethings I already knew, and some spooky stories mixed in there too!

Since the Halloween is upon us, I thought I would share a spooky story. When we first moved into Saravilla it was a life changing event. I mean LIVE CHANGING! No more wondering down to the kitchen in your pajamas for a cup of tea, no more slinking to the laundry room to grab those jeans from the dryer half dressed! It was a bit of an adjustment because my house is now everyone’s house to sleep at and you never know who you are going to run into in the hallway. I could tell you some stories, but we will save those for a later day! Anyways, back to this story. So, when you are used to living in a house that is all yours and now you are living in your business, literally, you really start paying attention to things. One day, I was walking through the foyer, and I happened to notice that the closet door in the hallway was ajar. I stopped, backed up and changed directions. I approached the door thinking to myself there is a plaque on the door that says “Private” who in the heck would be snooping in a closet? I shut the door, made sure it was shut as these doors are original and sometimes do not latch, and went about my business. We have a full house of people always and were very green to running a bed and breakfast, so I assumed positive intent. A few hours later, I passed by that same door and its open again! I drop everything and go into the closet to check it out myself. Nope! Nothing in here…come back out, shut the door. This time I pushed to make sure it was really latched, it was. A bit later when I was done doing whatever I was doing, I went to the back where our personal living room is, and our wonderful housekeeper was chatting it up with my husband. I piped in and said, “Are people really nosey here?” I mean, do they like to snoop around because twice today that hallway door has been opened and left open. She says to me, I have closed that door so many times myself over the last few days.” At that point I was feeling like welp, I guess this is what happens when you live where you work, right? WRONG!!

This is where things get spooky…. I love a good spooky story…

Over the next several days, weeks and months that darn door would be found open for no reason. Every time that door was open, I would complain that someone was curious again and left it open and how I wished that guests were more respectful of areas deemed “private”. This particular closet is literally just filled with décor for Ballroom events, nothing exciting to see in that space. Until that one day! I was setting up the Ballroom for an event and needed my tea lights and votive holders, so I squeezed myself into that tiny closet and shut the door behind me (ever get that feeling you are not alone?) I went to reach for the items I was attempting to retrieve and some other items hit the floor (just my luck). If you have not peaked inside this closet before, it is a tight fit unless you go in and close the door behind you and it is still a tight fit. When I went to bend over to grab the things that hit the floor, it felt like a hand went right on my backside, and it was not my hand…... I. Dropped. Everything. and simultaneously screamed like a sissy, flung open the door and ran like H.E L.L.  This was my only encounter with the closet and to this day I will not go in and close the door behind me, ever… just in case. My husband thinks I bumped up against something, I know different!

Later that year we got a call for a whole house rental from a Paranormal team that wanted to do an investigation. Of course, I said YES! My husband was very hesitant to accommodate this, but I was able to convince him since it was during the slow times of covid partial shutdowns. If you run a business, times were tough for a while! Prior to the start of the investigation, a medium came in to walk the house, let me tell you, she was spot on! I say this because she told me a few things about a deceased family member of mine that there is absolutely no way she would know unless she was the real deal! We had (I say had because nothing has happened in a few years) a trickster in the house. She described a group of very funny older men who liked to play tricks on people in a harmless jokester way. (For me, that explains the hand I felt) After discussing this with other’s I am dating this (older men) back to when this home was used as the Masonic home’s Annex. Some elderly folks lived here that needed assisted living along with some staff. She assured me that there was nothing harmful here or negative. In fact, she said our home felt like home to her, calm and peaceful. I contribute that to our excellent guest service! So, for all you ghost hunters that are thinking of booking a stay now; after reading this story you will have to book the whole house for an opportunity to ghost hunt. If you did not follow the livestream of our experience with GHOST Paranormal it may still be posted on our Facebook page from back in 2020-2021. The joys of running a historic bed and breakfast, it is fun, and you never know what may happen.

This brings me to my final thoughts of all the history of the Wright House, the original owner, Mr. Wright, the Smith Memorial Hospital, Northwood Institute and all who were here before us. History, stories, and memories are within the walls of these historic homes, and historic places in our county. If walls could talk, right? I would have an open ear and an open mind to learn more than what is written in historical papers.

I want to say thank you again for all those who have donated time, items, and given monetary gifts and given us support to help us continue to make history move forward for many years to come. With you, the reality of bringing the Wright House back to life would not be. To learn more about how far we have come, and the next steps of the restoration please join us at the community meeting, Monday, October 7th, at Child Advocacy for the updates! We will be meeting at 6:30pm. We hope to see you there!

Until next time.........

Rochelle