Adrian hosting holiday tour as flood recovery goes on

A town still recovering, rebuilding and repairing from spring flooding is hosting a Holiday Tour of Homes this year.

Located 30 miles southeast of Jamestown, Adrian, N.D., has one church, one business and one item available for sale — a bottle of pop at its grain elevator.

The town of 50 residents faced flood issues this spring when the James River displaced residents in about eight households.

But that didn’t stop four families from opening their homes to visitors in the holiday spirit.

Adrian’s Holiday Tour of Homes is set for 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

“Who in their right minds would schedule a tour of homes in a bunch of flooded homes?” said resident Pat Rode whose home had 6 inches of water this spring. That home is also on the tour.

Of the four residences on tour, three had water damage.

One belonged to Doris Rode, Pat’s mother-in-law.

Fifty-seven years ago, Doris Rode moved into the four-bedroom house her grandfather-in-law built.

Despite sandbagging, flood waters engulfed the 103-year-old home, rendering it unlivable. Almost eight months later, Rode moved into a new residence. It’s smaller, with only one-story and two-bedrooms, but it’s right next door.

“It (the old house) had lots of memories, but I guess I have to accept the fact that it’s just a building,” she said.

Rode has a new abode, but the siding, cupboards and appliances remain the same. They were salvaged from the old house and installed in the new.

Like her home, Doris Rode’s decorations are part old and part new this year too.

Most tree ornaments are the same, but the floral arrangements are not.

For Rode, tour-goers may be just as interested in the decorations as they are to the town’s recovery.

“I’m sure they would like to see how people have redone things in their house since the flood,” she said.

Work still remains at the Pat and Loren Rode home despite moving furniture, ripping out walls and building a permanent dike.

But that didn’t stop her from decorating for the holidays.

Most of Pat’s decorations are antiques, including a tree her mother is decorating with ornaments more than 100 years old.

Pat also decorated her front yard with a buggy, sleigh and transplanted trees that were moved when the couple built the permanent dike.

“There’s some good and there’s some bad” when it comes to the flood, she said.

Marna and Terry Schulz too, had water in their home. At its worst, 10 inches of water seeped into their main floor, ruining appliances, bathroom vanities, insulation and walls.

But most of the flood repairs are finished, Marna said.

“It just shows how everybody united and helped each other,” she said.

Her favorite decorations are village pieces she received from her mother as well as German village pieces Terry gave her after his business trips abroad.

Like the Schulzes, Darbie Parenteau said some of her favorite decorations are those she received from family. Her 8-year-old son, Wyatt, likes to decorate the home with clay ornaments symbolizing the growth of the family.

The gifts were from Parenteau’s mother and are made of clay figures beginning with husband and wife in 1998 — the year Parenteau and her husband, Jason, married. The ornaments later began to include the family’s dog as well as Wyatt, and his little brother, Anders.

Parenteau said the holidays are a little different in Adrian this year.

“(We’re) thankful we’re all here and no one was hurt,” she said.

Tickets for the Adrian Tour of Homes are $10 and can be purchased at Trinity Lutheran Church, Adrian. Tickets include an hors d’ oeuvre buffet and coffee. Proceeds benefit Adrian’s 125th celebration, set for July 2010.

Sun reporter Katie Ryan can be reached at 701-952-8454 or by e-mail at kryan@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, adrian, flood, christmas, tour