Santa Clara Flood 2012– Lee & Karen Frei

Lee & Karen Frei live across the street from Dutchman’s on the main road.  Their’s was the first house to take on water and mud.  I was worried as I was video taping that the water would wash the dirt away their house was standing on.  It looked like it may have been taking chunks off the side.  Fortunately, it did not lose it’s foundation.  It did, however, fill up their basement, too.

I ran into their daughter, Lauri, at Lin’s several days after the flood.  Lauri lives in Northern Nevada and had traveled down to help out.  It turns out Karen’s health is not so good right now and the flood wasn’t helping.

One of the most tender stories I heard about Lee & Karen’s house was that among losing some of their pictures and scrapbooks, the hardest part, Jerry said, was cleaning out Patti’s room.  Patti was murdered in the Playhouse Bar murders in Cedar City on Feb 14, 1984.  I remember the day clearly.  I grew up hanging out with Jayne and Patti.  I worked with them at the old Drive-In.  They taught me to love football, teaching me all about the Cowboys and Steelers back in the days of Fran Tarkenton.  I hated who they hated and loved who they loved— that’s what happens when someone teaches you about football. ;o)  I spent a lot of time in their home and with them.  Patti’s death was hard for me.  It was coupled with the fact that my brother-in-law was killed the next day (Feb 15) in a construction accident.  It was my husband’s birthday.   He and I were married 3 days later on Feb 18.  I went to Patti’s funeral on Thursday, set up for my reception on Friday, got married on Saturday, went to a viewing for Paul’s brother on Sunday and had the funeral on Monday.  THEN we went on a honeymoon.  It is a week I’ll never forget.  Emotional rollercoaster is an exaggeration.

So I remember Patti.  What I didn’t know is that her room had been left in  tact since the day she died.  Jerry said that was the hardest part.  Going through things and bringing back all those memories.  And knowing that now some of it is all gone.

To say this flood hasn’t been hard emotionally is just a royal misconception.

Lee & Karen’s Home from the backside:

I’m guessing that field on the right gained 2-3 feet of extra mud dirt.