“MEET YOU NEIGHBOR AT LVH’S”

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Meet your neighbors Ruth & Lee Watkins who have lived at Longview Hills since 1989, they are one of the first residents. The Watkins can tell you many stories how our community became the way it is today, they both had a major role in putting this community together.
At this time, Lee is writing his memoirs from the beginning to the present; still working on this task. Ruth hasn’t started hers yet, their kids asked them to do this, so they will have a written history of their parents (Great Idea). They have been married for almost 55 years and have a wedding anniversary coming up soon, they raised 2 boys and 2 girls. Today the off spring from their kids has blessed them with eight Grandchildren and 5 Great-Grandchildren.
Ruth was born in the State of California and Lee came from way across the Mississippi River from Indiana. I asked Ruth what her hobbies and interest are, she told me that taking care of Lee over all these years has became her hobbie, Lee has been through many medical problems over the years and this has taken up a lot of her time. She enjoys laying games on the computer and reading, one day also to write her own memoirs for their kids. Her interest are keeping up with their Grandkids, playing the organ, which she has played for 35 years, doesn’t play much these days.
Now Lee’s hobbies and interest are many, his hobbies are fishing, woodworking, music and he plays a tenor saxophone and we might have to ask him to bring it out of moth balls, he also enjoys doing the repair work around the park when someone calls for his help. His interest at this point is writing his memoirs for their kids.
Ruth & Lee are both retired from John Deer Implement Company in Idaho, Lee worked in sales and Ruth was in parts, I think that’s where she orders parts for Lee, right Ruth? Ruth’s sister and brother-in-law lived down the road at other retirement community; they would come out here for visits and fell in love with this area and went back home and packed up the house for the move.
The way Lee and Ruth became involved with LVH’s back in the late 80’s, is Lee was hired on has the maintance/salesman. The add ran in the local paper, it had a separate listing for each job. Lee arrived for his interview and they asked him which job he was applying for, he told them both. So during the week he was the maintenance man and on weekends he would relieve the regular salesman. Lee became the General Manager in a short time and if you ever want to hear the history of Longview Hills, then best give Lee a call or if you ever see him around the park, stop and chat with him. Lee, told me when they first moved here there was only six houses on site, now look at it.
He told me when they first came on the scene there were only 25 lots ready for houses and winter was coming on, so there was a lot of work to be done during the winter to get more lots ready. Ruth use to clean the houses up here before they were sold, that’s after Lee and his crew finish their work on them, she told me that the house Frida and I live in, was the last house she cleaned. I ask her if she mind coming over to do some more cleaning, but she turned me down. Oh well, that’s my part time job now, along with a few others.
Here are some history tidbits for you, Club House is called Watkins Hall, there is a plaque on the wall in the Club House showing him the first park manager here. Also, the kitchen is called Ruth’s Kitchen, the reason for this, she use to have coffee and sacks ready for the construction crews while they were working here. Ask them about the music gatherings that occurred at the Club House…sounds like fun…. strike up the band.
One thing to keep in mind is if your interested in the history of the park, then these are one of the residents to talk to. I thank Ruth and Lee for letting me interview them, I enjoyed it very much, learned a lot of history about the Longview Hills from them. Thank You!