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LIFE: HOMES
Couple's home a peaceful refuge just minutes from city
Ron and Lynn Kingery pose in front of their home, Thursday, July 1, 2010, in Chesapeake, Ohio.
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CHESAPEAKE, Ohio -- Years ago Lynn Kingery used to think she would like to live in a park setting when she retired.
She wanted to be able to help care for the grounds and enjoy the natural setting. This is one of those be-careful-what-you-wish-for cases.
Just a few years from retirement, Lynn met and married Ron Kingery, who lived in the Chesapeake vicinity. She moved here from a very urban community only to end up in a place that she had once dreamed about.
Ron and Lynn Kingery do live in a park-like setting. Their home sits on several acres of manicured lawn with picnic areas, a homemade golfing green, plus a bird and wildlife sanctuary.
"I love the tranquility of this place, God has given me a gift," she said. "I get to help take care of it, and the serenity and peace this offers is amazing."
Ron Kingery had owned and tended the property for many years before the two met. He had worked on clearing it and building a home for his family. When he decided to put a house on it, he felt a two-story home was important because of the numerous tall trees in the landscape.
"Those tall poplar trees would have engulfed a one-story house," he said.
As he was looking for a builder, he heard about a program at the Collins Career Center where the students built houses. After doing some investigating, he decided to take a chance with the youngsters.
"I picked out the plans for the house, and they framed it up," he said. "I had the drywall and wiring done, but the whole thing saved me a lot of money, and they did a good job. It was the first two-story house they had ever attempted. Each day I would check it out, and if there was anything wrong they would fix it."
Taking care of this park-like yard isn't as time consuming as one might think.
"By June 1, I usually have the trees trimmed," he said. "I like to keep the branches high. These are mostly poplar trees, and they stand straight and tall."
The mowing is all done with a riding mower, and Ron Kingery says if he does it all at once, it can take up to five hours. It's a chore he enjoys, so it is no hardship.
"He mows and I do the trimming," Lynn Kingery said. "We both work on the flowers, mulching and weeding, which isn't bad once we get it all done in the spring."
Along the drive into their property, one notes the lovely hostas, impatiens and roses gathered under the umbrella of trees created in this forest-like setting.
One area the Kingerys have cleared that is quite lovely borders a creek below their house. The grassy flat area has served as a golfing green for Lynn Kingery and a neighbor.
"We spent a whole summer playing golf down here but then sort of lost interest," she said.
Even so, Ron Kingery keeps it mowed and manicured like the rest of the property.
The Kingerys feel fortunate and blessed to live in such a sanctuary where the birds greet them each morning as they have coffee on the deck. Other wildlife such as deer and squirrels will also travel through their yard and take advantage of the surroundings.
Ron and Lynn Kingery feel most fortunate to have a home just minutes from the city with acreage, privacy and a country setting.
