Four generations in one house. From left Gladys Wightman, Angela Brand (granddaughter), and Julie Houle (daughter). Missing is Alexander, Angela's 3 year-old son, all in front of the new home.

When Henry Hermes was just 5 years into his real estate business in 1955 (then called Hermes and Hilton), he sold the house at 219 Second Avenue Southwest in Forest Lake to Al and Gladys Wightman. This was the year I graduated from high school. Three years later, at the age of 21, I found myself getting my Real Estate license at the urging of my father.

Al and Gladys raised two children in this house, Bruce and Julie. Bruce Wightman still lives in Forest Lake. Julie Houle and her husband, Gary, live in Stacy, Minnesota.

In the eighty's my brother Mike Hermes, an agent at Century 21 in Forest Lake, sold the home for Al and Gladys. This completes the second leg of this transaction.

This past year, when the house came on

A happy day: Travis and Angela with their excited agent, Jim Hermes.

the market, I showed it to Angela and Travis Brand. Angela is the daughter of Julie Houle. Of course, Julie and her mom, Gladys, had come to see the house with Angela and Travis. As Julie went through the house, she was surprised to find her old bedroom the same color it was when she was a young girl living there.

When all is said and done, Angela now lives in the home her mom and grandma lived in. How great to have your first home with all the memories. A story that took 45 years to come full circle.