Can you imagine visiting your grandparents at Casa Blanca, their home (below) at 1401 Dana Avenue and then getting to live in this house yourself once they passed? Well Annamarie Becker Harten (and her 7 siblings) got to do just that! Casa Blanca was built in l927-28 and Annamarie’s grandfather, […]

Mrs. Virginia (“Ginny”) Krebs has called 59 Kessler Place HOME for her entire life – all 87 years of it! In fact, she was born in the bedroom that she currently sleeps in. And the family goes back even further…… Ginny’s grandparents, George and Anna Pfaffenberger had a farm on […]

The beautiful, tall, slender, white-haired woman you may see out walking with her daughter is Mrs. Mary Kartal and she has called North Avondale and two addresses on Burton Woods Lane home since 1960. She originally bought at #10 and moved to #4 in 2010, where, interestingly, Charlie Taft, son […]

While not necessarily a longevity candidate (as we are learning for North Avondale), I introduce you to Ken Brawner of 3 Revel Court to share a snippet of house buying l990’s style. Ken was living in Madisonville, when his friend and realtor told him, “You are a rising young executive; […]

June Hobbs was living in Evanston when she and her husband, Manuel Hobbs, drove down Mitchell Avenue and all the trees were in bloom and she said it was such” beautiful scenery” that she wanted to live nearby. So, in l962 they moved to 3984 Abington. They chose this home […]

Let me introduce, David Tsevat! David was born at Jewish Hospital while his parents lived on 674 S. Crescent and later grew up at 764 Red Bud Ave. His parents pushed him home in a stroller via Harvey and Washington Avenues – his first tour of the neighborhood. Later, he […]

Mel and Lois Nizny moved into their home at 3953 Rose Hill Avenue April 1, 1971. But their story goes back a bit further…  Mel actually lived in North Avondale in l962 at 775 Clinton Springs Ave. while a medical student at UC. Lois would come to visit Mel and, […]

Get ready to meet longest resident, or at least that I know of to date – Wilhelmina Branson at 3923 Leyman Drive. Byron and Wilhelmina and their three children moved to North Avondale in June 1964. They came from a log house and 18 acres in Amelia. But Amelia could […]

While this project has been thought of as an effort to share the stories of those of you who anchor our neighborhood by having lived in it the longest, sometimes stories come to you of neighbors who have “sampled” many parts of the neighborhood. Let me introduce Kimberly Russell, currently […]

This month, as I kick off this project, I am so excited to introduce two “longevity” families and share their stories of living in North Avondale. You will learn more about Ernest Fontana and Nelida Mietta-Fontana at 3950 Ledgewood and Bob and Mary Wells at 4245 Rose Hill. Ernest Fontana […]