Gayleen Gindy

This house was constructed in 1915 while the property was in the name of Elizabeth Elg. She was the former Elizabeth Harrwaldt who married George M. Elg in 1899. They lived in Ottawa Lake, Mich., and all the census records show them farming there. Early Sylvania directories never show them living in our subject house, so they must have rented this house to tenants during the four years that they owned it. In 1919 they sold this house to Dale and Katherine West.

Dale West married Kathryn Finger in 1904 in Ottawa Lake, Mich. As of the 1910 census they were living in Riga, Mich. and they had a daughter named Hilda who was 3 years old. Dale was renting a farm and was employed as a farm laborer on his own farm. When he completed his World War I registration in 1918 his address was F.R.D. 1 Riga. He was 36 years old and listed as a farmer. They purchased this home on Summit Street in 1919 and when the 1920 census was taken they were living in the home. Dale was listed as owning the home with a mortgage. He was 37 years old and now employed as a salesman for a retail hardware store. Katherine was listed as 33 years old and their daughter Hilda was 10 years old.

The Wests only owned the home for four years and in 1923 sold it to John Olrich. In 1931 John added his wife Katherine’s name to the deed. They owned it until he died in 1950, and then she continued to own it until she died in 1981. The year before she died, she celebrated her 100th birthday. The couple had no children so in 1983, the home transferred to the Luther Home of Mercy who had taken care of Katherine in her final years.
From 1923 through 1987 the home was rented out to various families. Long-time residents were Walter and Emma Frank.

The Luther Home of Mercy sold the home in 1987 to Vickie Davis who still owns it today.

Suburban directories show the Davis family renting the home starting in 1974 through 1987 when Vickie Davis purchased the home from The Luther Home of Mercy.

A building permit issued in October of 1987 was issued to Vickie Davis to have Hobbs Builders Inc., build a new roof on the garage, with no foundation changes. According to county records a permit was issued in 2015 for miscellaneous residential work.

Directories show Vickie Davis living at 5810 Summit St. until 2000. From then until the current time the home appears to be rented.