MAKING MEMORIES IN CENTERVILLE ... UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN IN MAY

WESTWARD-HO! The view as I headed west toward home on The National Road (U.S. 40) after visiting Centerville Thursday night.

 Last night’s stop took me to Centerville, Indiana, for an evening with the Opportunity Extension Homemakers Club. We met in the local senior center. It was an easy drive taking the back roads after work at the newspaper in New Castle.

The club’s president, the soft-spoken Peggy, allowed me a thoughtful courtesy, an offer to give my talk early in the meeting and then leave whenever I wished while club business unfolded.

The ladies were attentive and several picked up books, for which I’m grateful. It’s the second time I’ve given a program in this town where I don’t suppose I truly know anyone here anymore, but I know the place well. Consider:

• Although they had passed on long before I was born, both my maternal grandparents were from Centerville. The homes where they lived more than a century ago still stand – one a regal two-story brick back a short lane next to the old Abington School – and the other a blue, two-story on The National Road in town, practically across the street and a little east of the home of Indiana’s Civil War governor, Oliver P. Morton.   

The Centerville home of Indiana's Civil War Governor Oliver P. Morton.

There remains no family remnant of my own in the town where two branches of my family tree merged, but my grandparents are buried in the town’s large cemetery.

Whenever I go to Union County, I take the country road through Abington so I can pass the one-time farm home of my maternal grandfather. My mom often spoke of the threshing dinners, draft horses and fun she had staying with her grandparents there in the summer. Of course it’s been out of her family for decades, but I stare all the same.

• Centerville has unique, preserved architecture with unique arches and well-kept homes that sit with no frontage on The National Road. Back when I spent more time in antiques stores, I enjoyed the bounty in this town.

Dusk is falling as I roll west out of town on The Old National Road. The homes are distinctively Centerville.

• And let’s be frank! As a teen I liked to chase boys in this town. We’ll leave it at that.
•  In more recent years, my friend Gay and I took our summer girlfriend getaway to Centerville. We stayed at the gorgeous Lantz Inn, which now appears as a private residence. We also visited Warm Glow Candle, The Enchanted Sled and tried to get the attention of the Midwest Living scout who was there researching the topic of girlfriend getaways. One of these days I’ll have to share that story on this blog.    The fun thing is we ended up in Midwest Living anyway when I wrote about our time there and they printed what I wrote along with a photo!
  

For years this was The Lantz House Inn. My friend Gay and I stayed there one weekend -- the same weekend Midwest Living was visiting.

So a trip to Centerville, a town my mother loved for her memories visiting grandparents on their farm, is also a trip down memory lane of another kind for me.

Once my part Thursday night was finished, the business meeting resumed and after a bit I decided to go ahead, pack up, and leave. I didn’t want to interrupt the women for photos so instead, I took these few on my way out of this town -- a town distinctive to me for roots – and for memories in the making.

Until next time ...

I'll be back soon to Centerville. Next time, it's a book signing during the spring open house at the beautiful Warm Glow Candle complex from 10-6 Friday, May 5. Stop by and say hi.