Some old-time Delaware residents might remember the late Harry Frank. He was born and raised in Delaware, and he owned many downtown buildings, including what is now Barley Hopsters on the corner of Sandusky and William streets. Harry was a Delaware legend, striking up conversations with everyone he met. He died in 2008, but his memory is still deep in my heart.

Harry’s boyhood home still stands at 76 N. Franklin St., an ornate, brick two-story home. Over the years, it has fallen into disrepair, and it is now being restored to its former glory by Melissa Barger. I think of the many sacred memories this home holds. Birthdays for Harry and his two sisters, ordinary family meals, graduations, laughter, disappointments, welcoming friends, the smells of a cake baking in the kitchen, joys and celebrations. There is a bit of mourning when a deed is transferred. It is not the great architecture or the way the light pours through the floor to ceiling windows, letting in the morning sun. It is the end of an era as one family’s ownership is transferred to another. It is the palpable memories that rise and overflow. This home sits, ready to welcome a new family and embrace all the new memories and experiences that will come their way. May God’s grace and blessings be present for all that is yet to come.

I am indebted to Harry for the ways he helped my family and enriched my life. I will be forever grateful.

Beverly Gould

Delaware