I stumbled across this post on Facebook. It really hit home for me yet contacted this person to see if I could help. Maybe I could share her story here with you all.
Karla Nowling from Illinois, shared that she has been searching her beloved dollhouse her dad built for over 20 years. The photo she posted was taken during Christmas of 1985.
As a child, Karla wanted a big dollhouse and a doll cradle for her doll. Her adoptive dad, (who was also a war veteran) knew he was sick yet he made both with his own hands. Even the dollhouse wasn’t large but it was beautifully built. Karla vividly remembered that Christmas day when he gave it to her. She was so excited and proud.
The white wooden dollhouse was unique, due to the fact that the back roof could open up and the toys could be stored in it. The front had an opening of two small rooms – both upper and lower levels. Her dad sat and played with her. That was one of the last memories Karla had with him before he passed. That dollhouse (and the cradle) has meant everything to her.
So precious.
After few years has passed, Karla and her family lived in a small apartment yet her mother asked a friend, J. Baxter if they could store their belongings in her apartment storage room in the basement for some time being. J. Baxter and her brother owned Green Oaks apartment in Palos Hills, IL at the time.
Once they were stored, it was the last time Karla saw her dollhouse and cradle. Unfortunately, they were never recovered and the family is still not certain if they were actually stolen – or J. Baxter has sold it to someone else. Either way, it was a great loss for Karla.
The picture is the only thing Karla has of the dollhouse as she never stopped missing it. She would do anything to have that handmade miniature house returned – so she can touch it again and feel her dad’s presence. She still hopes to pass it down to her children one day.
Please contact us if you have seen anything like it – it’d mean a world to her and her family. Thank you.
Christmas of 1985
HOUSE MINIATURES 