G-2.3-3 Clare Gruner (1904-1986) married Wilma B. Strong in 1929 and lived in the small tenant house on the farm on Calkins Road (see page 8). They bought this farm in 1936 at Depression Prices ($5500.00 for 120 acres and 2 houses). Like the Tappenden house, it does not really qualify as an "Ancestral Homes," but they are both included because of their location in the immediate area. It was probably originally built in the late 1800s like most of the others and has evidence of numerous additions. The foundation walls are of field stone, poorly flattened on one side, and the basement was dug out under a part of the house in later years, leaving what is often called a "Michigan Basement" with walls inside of the supporting walls. There is even a brick chimney built above the first floor, supported by an interior partition, extending into the attic with no sign of it above the roof. Apparently it was unneeded when a basement furnace was put in long before the Gruner's bought it in 1936. The second house on the farm was moved to the Calkins farm in 1942 when the tenant house was lost in a fire. It was a two story house and was moved the 3 miles at a contracted cost of $150.00. Now all the buildings on the south side of Burch Road are gone and the building site was sold off where a new house now stands.

This is where Charles, Joan and Bruce were raised and where Charles and Wilma J. moved after Clare died in 1986 having lived in the Calkins Road house from 1957 until then. Charles and Joan went to the Centennial School along with their Gruner cousins and Bruce was an 8th grader when the school was consolidated into the Coldwater School District in 1965. The school was built in 1876 (hence the name) on land donated by our great-grandfather, Anton Gruner.

At the time of this writing, Charles Gruner is president of the Family Reunion Association. At age 75, he is hoping for a dedicated family member to come forward soon to assume the duties of a president (rather minor) and help preserve our heritage.

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