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Show Pae F.ght - The Pyramid - December 24, 1997 Creating dream homes from remnants of Sanpete history MANTI-- - Ella and Ron Sessions are creating a dream home from a piece of their citys historyThey are renovating a Manti house that once belonged to L.R. Anderson, former member of the Utah legislature and president of the Manti Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints. Anderson came up with the idea of having a Manti Temple pageant, but never lived to see it fulfilled. Now, the Sessions are moving through Andersons former home room by room, restoring it to its original grandeur. The pace is slow, about a room a year, and the work tedious. Some of the walls were covered with five layers of wallpaper that had to be peeled off, and stripping a single door frame takes three and a half days. The Sessions are doing all the work themselves. "Were paying for it as we go along," Ellie states. "It is definitely a labor of love. " It is a love to which many residents of Sanpete County can relate. The county is full of historic homes. Many of them have been or are being renovated to their original form. This preservation of the countys history is something the Sanpete Heritage Council hopes to recognize in an occasional newspaper series. It will highlight homes that have been renovated or those under construction. The council also wants to help home owners interested in renovation apply for tax credits and financial incentives. The Sessions home, located at 542 South Main Street, had been painted. The Session stripped off the paint brick by brick with a wire brush. Inside, they have restored two bedrooms, a bathroom and living area, and refinished all of the hardwood floors. They have furnished the home with period furniture, including a claw foot bathtub and John Douglas toilet complete with a pull chain. They plan to start work on the kitchen in the spring. For now, they are cooking on a wood burning stove. In Mt. Pleasant, the Ursen-bac- h family is restoring a funeral home to look like it did when it was first built in the 1870s as a school. The home, located at 96 North 100 West, has been in the family since 1939 when Joseph and Amy Ursenbach bought it to use as a funeral parlor. It was built on land that was deeded to Mt. Pleasant by the U.S. government in 1872. The building was first used as a school before being deeded back to the city in 1898. It was then used as Mt. Pleasants City Hall until the Ursenbachs purchased it. The building has been renovated and improved over the years. During the floods of 1947, a neighbors bam washed down right in front of the building, the family says. During one phase of remodeling, dynamite had to be used to move the original foundation. In 1965, Earl and Mary Ursenbach bought the home from his father. The family is now restoring the building, adding new stucco and constructing a bell tower to replace the one that was removed when the home was converted from a school. "We have a great love of the building ii t s '41 ,l 462-250- 2; 283-665- The Grasers bought the home and breakfast. Like the Sessions, they had to strip paint from the inside and outside of the home and restored the original woodwork. Mormon apostle Orson Hyde once lived in Gailene and John Hoopers home in Spring City. The home is constructed of limestone, the same type used to build the Manti LDS Temple. The Mormon church built the home at 209 South Main in Spring City for Hyde. It is believed Hyde had seven wives and 35 children, 17 of whom lived to adulthood, the Hoopers say. Hyde and five of his wives are buried in the Spring City Cemetery. Ursenbach Funeral Home as it was in 1939 when Joseph and Amy Ursenbach purchased it from Mt. Pleasant City. It was originally a 5 Tarni Thompson, daughter of; Dr. John F. and Robyn Thompson, Mt. Pleasant, recently returned from the California; Arcadia LDS Mission where she served both an English and Spanish speaking mission. She will be speaking on Sunday, Dec. 28, at 2:50 p.m. in the Mt. Pleasant Fourth LDS Ward, 49 South State. in 1990 and converted it to a bed f MmJ ' and hope to keep it in the family indefinitely," Mary Ursenbach says. Karen and Bruce Grasers Ephraim home at 41 South Main was once owned by Willard Pherson, who ran a saloon and liquor store in town. In 1906, Ephraim wanted to get rid of saloons so it raised the licensing fees to $200 a year, a substantial amount of money, claims Karen Graser. "Most of the saloons went out of business, but Pher-son- s survived. He was also one of the founders of the Bank of Ephraim," Graser says. The home also was lived in by descendants of C.C.A. Christensen, an artist known for his panorama pictures work depicting Mormon pioneers. Many of his pictures that were believed to be lost were found years later in the basement of the home. The pictures were donated to Brigham Young University. W hen the Hoopers bought their home, it had been vacant for seven years. "It was a disaster when we moved in," they say. There was fungus growing on the ceiling and four feet of water in the basement. They have restored the outside of the home to look much as it did when Hyde lived there. Monte Bona, a member of the Sanpete Heritage Council and Mt. Pleasant City Council member, said the heritage council also can help homeowners find out about their propertys history. The Sessions say they were lucky in that department. A relative of their homes original owner lives next door, and has filled them in on the houses history. "It is a really good feeling to know such wonderful people lived here, Ellie Sessions says. "We are really enjoying it." For information on historic home restoration, contact Monte J. Justin Thompson, son of Dr. Bona, June Crane, John F. and Robyn Thompson, 4 283-431 . or Joe Blain, 2 Mt. Pleasant, has been called to serve in the Paraguay Asuncion The silliest woman can man- LDS Mission. He will speak in age a cleaver man; but it needs a the Mt. Pleasant Fourth LDS very clever woman to manage a Ward, 49 South on SunState, fool. day, Dec. 28, at 2:50 p.m. He -Rudyard Kipling enters the MTC on Dec. 31. school from 1872 to 1898, then was used as the Mt. Pleasant City Hall, MHFISM fii iai isr 4hr Ursenbach Funeral Home as it is today after recent renovation. The home has been in the Ursenbach family since 1939. Heres hoping that your holiday brings loads of contentment and many good things. Thank you for your valued support. FAIRVIEW CITY Mayor, Council, Staff & Employees N i , FROM SUPER G'S SUPER SUB & PDQ LUBE Fairview Many thanks from all of us ' |