Perraults happy to be home for the holidays
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
When fire destroyed much of what Ed and Denise Perrault cherished and loved about a house they lived in for a couple of decades, the Posen couple vowed to rebuild it much it much the way it was. That is a promise in which they followed through. While no pile of insurance money can replace the many precious mementoes lost in the blaze, such as photos, videos and family collectibles from milestone moments, Ed and Denise are making new memories as they prepare for their first Christmas in a new abode.
?It does seem like home for the holidays,? said Ed. It?s still getting decorated for the occasion. Ed put up a natural tree Sunday, with one set of lights covering it in their living room. There?s even a train and tracks circling the tree stand. ?It?s a work in progress,? said Ed. THE FEB. 18 fire displaced the couple for four months. They hired Kenyon Builders of Hillman to not only get them back into their house as quickly as possible, but they wanted almost everything just the way it was. Ed was turning a deaf ear to anyone who dare suggest he go the less expensive route and put in a modular.
There was just no way that was going to happen; beside there were a lot of special requests made of the contractor. There?s several bricks, 15 feet of plumbing fixtures, the old lam beam, one light fixture in the dining room and a stained glass window that were salvaged from the old place. The couple even has a pile of bricks they intend to use to construct a memorial barbecue next summer.
The contractor completed the job in 90 days and had it ready for occupancy on June 29. ?(Kenyon) had eight or nine guys working for him. They were all laid off in February. He called his entire crew in, and it was the only project they had to concentrate on was this.? Fire fighters saved a grandfather clock, a china cabinet and a few other items that provide more emotional links to their old house. ?WE LIKED our house,? said Ed. ?It was the house we raised the girls in.? ?It used to feel like it was someone else?s home,? said Denise. ?I believe it?s because of all of the new furnishings,? Ed responded. ?It?s a different environment.?
Ed said the nice part about rebuilding your home is you can tweak it a little by putting in a couple of extra electrical outlets where they are needed, or maybe raise a kitchen cabinet an inch or two. ?That was cool, putting in all the new things into the new home,? said Ed. ?I would still trade it all back to have back what I lost, which was 30 years of kids? births, communions, pictures, vacations, graduations, Miss Posen pageants.? He also lost a sports card collection valued at $50,000 to $75,000. The couple recently hosted a cast party for the Rogers City Community Theatre?s ?Sound of Music.?
The Perraults were planning to have over the cast for ?Curtains,? but the production opened Feb. 19, the day after the fire. The couple had a nice family gathering for Thanksgiving, with more plans for Christmas. ?My kids say it feels like home, as well, which was the goal,? said Ed. The couple?s children include son Edward III, and daughters, Elizabeth, Emily, Eleisha and Elyse. The Perraults appreciated the efforts of the firefighters who saved what they could, and for their neighbors, as well as teachers in Rogers City and Posen for support. Ed said, ?The support in small town communities is wonderful.?