“I was at the Co-op the other day chatting with other customers and the sales staff when one of the people in line said to me, “Aren’t you that lady …”

“Yes,” I replied, “I am.”

“I love your house!”

“Thanks so much. It has tons of character and it has been a happy place to raise my kids.”

This conversation has been reenacted multiple times for almost the last 30 years in diverse places and it is hard to believe that very soon I may no longer be that person. My house will soon be someone else’s home and I will be gone from this city and haven to move onto new and different things.

But the experience will live in the history of my “Mustard Seed.” I have lingered here longer than any other resident and raised my three children under this steeply pitched roof. We have grown up with this home, shared its treasures and good vibrations with countless friends and acquaintances, read about ourselves in local newspapers, listened to numerous anecdotes of previous visitors, laughed and cried at outrageous rumors, and have been the subjects of curiosity the entire time.

It is not unusual to have random strangers knock on the door to simply ask about the house. Just yesterday, an inspector said that someone on a bicycle stopped to let him know that once John Wayne’s sister lived here and that it had been a church. To set the record straight, John’s sister (which is disputed as to whether or not he really had one) did not live here, but the house was indeed Sequim Bible Church at one time.

So many personalities have shaped this home and I will miss all of their kind attention. My contractor, Phil Roberts, put his heart, soul and excellent craftsmanship into this condemned house when my family first arrived from Connecticut in 1988. He has continued to help with odd necessities when things needed sprucing up and has had the proud distinction of getting literally stuck in a wall requiring the fire department to extricate him.

One of the last contractors to work on the home is a grandson of the original owners, George and Mildred Godfrey. Eric, the son of Rick Godfrey, is the proprietor of Three Crowns Property Services here in Sequim and he provided his expertise in making the house market worthy. The family still has an interest in the house and I have documented some of their stories to include in a scrapbook that I have created.

In addition, two Sequim Gazette reporters have followed the house history over the years. Christine Aumack chronicled the reconstruction of the building which sparked the interest of other residents who added their own commentaries. I was sorry to see her leave the area for employment on the other side of the pond.

In the past few years, Kelly McKillip has replaced Ms. Aumack with her own style of interest and authored wonderful articles and even a play about the house for a Sequim Retrospective. Kelly is a quiet person with a huge pen and has researched the Mustard Seed’s history. I appreciate her attention to detail and the tidbits that she has put together about the house.

My favorite memories, however, cannot be truly catalogued. They will live long in the hearts of those who knew firsthand. These include our huge annual Christmas Eve parties where no one needed an invitation and we opened our home to anyone who needed a place to go for a holiday meal. One year we had over 200 people, but the average was around 80. We decorated and wore our formal clothes to host and thank those that ventured through our door.

Similarly, after-school gatherings would center here with homework and pool and ping pong. I remember once coming home to find 17 cars outside (many on the grass) of student friends of my kids.

Snacks always were available and the location made it a great place to hang out. They were noisy and busy and happy.

Like all big homes, we have had weddings, recitals, all-night video gaming parties, car washes, roller coasters, garage sales, soccer practice, go-carts and you name it. It has been a safe and sheltering spot in the little paradise of Sequim. I will miss it but I am delighted and proud that it was my family that restored this place and let it shine. With love and care, it will continue to stand tall.

It will be tough to adjust to the fact that I will be leading a life in a tract home like the little old lady that I have become. My mother-in-law needs attention and we will share a place to secure her safety and needs that will be closer to my children. But I am so thankful for all the people who have made our lives here the adventure that it has been. You will be in our hearts always and I always will be “that lady.”

Drop by before the end of the month to say goodbye. It’s the big brick house on the corner of Second Avenue and Maple Street … you know, the one with the angel out in front.”

Charlee Sandell is a Sequim resident.

Everyone has a story and now they have a place to tell it. Verbatim is a first-person column that introduces you to your neighbors as they relate in their own words some of the difficult, humorous, moving or just plain fun moments in their lives. It’s all part of the Gazette’s commitment as your community newspaper. If you have a story for Verbatim, contact editor Michael Dashiell at editor@sequimgazette.com.