Deseret Morning News
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| Darla Adamson, holding grandson Tyler Harward, watches as her childhood home falls. Her mother, Donna Curtis, will get a new house. Photo by Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News |
Mapleton resident Donna Curtis was born and raised in the small home just off 1200 North in Mapleton, then later, after losing her husband, reared five children in the same home as a single mother.
A month from now, Curtis and the two grandchildren who now live with her will return to a new home, donated by local builders and members of an LDS ward who said they had to get involved after hearing about Curtis' story.
"It's very overwhelming," said Dee Smith, Curtis' daughter, who grew up in the home. "There's excitement, but sadness."
Crews needed less than 10 minutes to demolish the small home. The demolition was surprisingly fast and somewhat shocking for family members who watched it.
"It's been a part of us for so long, to watch it come down so fast, it was like 'Oh!,"' Smith said.
Stewart Hamilton, Curtis' bishop in the Mapleton 18th Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has known the Curtis family for about three years now, first as a friend, then a home teacher, and now as a bishop.
He said the family has had some tough times, but he has always been impressed by Curtis' hardworking nature that continues to pull the family through, even now. Curtis works in shipping and receiving at Dillards in Provo.
"I've only been in one room in that house as a home teacher and that was the living room," Hamilton said. "I didn't have to go any further to know that there was a real need ... [Curtis] is a hardworking, industrious woman, she's always been able to make her payments, she's always been able to take care of raising her family, and I just felt that there was more I could do for her."
Church leaders began discussing ways they could help the Curtis family last year, and met with local builders who have been involved in similar projects in the past just to get advice on how to get started.
But once Chris Shurian, owner of Classic Construction, heard Curtis' story and met with her, he threw his company into the project. Classic Construction hired an architect to design the new home and presented the plans to Curtis as a gift shortly before Christmas. Classic is also donating time and materials to the project.
Project organizers are still accepting donations, both financial and physical, to the project. Interested volunteers can contact Hamilton at 801-489-9499, and Central Bank in Mapleton, 385 N. Main, is accepting financial donations under the name of the Donna Curtis Christmas Home.
Family members readily admit the home needed to be replaced. It had taken serious water damage in recent years and had no handicap access for Curtis' 14-year-old grandson Shilo, who lives with Curtis. Shilo, whose mother's poor health prohibits her from being his primary caretaker, suffered a stroke when he was born and is paralyzed on the left side of his body.
Tuesday remained a bittersweet day, nonetheless.
"It's a happy and sad day for my mom, because she was born and raised in the house," Smith said. "She had one daughter pass away in the home, so I mean, my mom has a lot of memories here ... and that's why she's not here today. She just couldn't watch it."
As family members watched the house collapse, reminiscing about each room as it tumbled inward to the growing pile of rubble, Smith turned to Shilo and offered words of comfort.
"All those memories may be gone," she said, "but soon we'll get to make new ones."