By Mark Kneubuhl
Special to LIVE!
August 5, 2007

In today’s fast paced world it seems that everyone is dabbling in real estate, trying to turn a fast buck. It’s a quick and easy formula of buying low, slap on a coat of cheap paint, plant a few fichus in the front yard and sell high.

David and Cathy Springer of San Angelo, Texas were one such couple looking for a way to supplement their income, but something completely unforeseen got in their way… they fell in love with their investment.

And the whole idea seemed to be a perfect fit as David is a master finish carpenter and Cathy, an accomplished amateur landscaper with a passion for flowers.

“Actually, we’re both garden lovers,” David interjected. “We dated for about three years and then got married. But it wasn’t until we started working on this house that we learned something about each other that we didn’t know… and that’s our love of plants and flowers.

And their garden (not like the house), is complete but has become almost a public safety problem with the large number of cars on Preusser Avenue, who slow down to a near stop to enjoy the view.

Even during this interview, a pizza delivery person stopped, right smack in the middle of the road, to admire the garden and especially one purple hibiscus that has a flower the size of a dinner plate.

But the Springer’s are very accommodating, and seemed eager to share the beauty and the story behind this grand old house.

In 1999, David purchased the home from Betty Fisher, a local woman who had worked for years in the cafeteria at San Angelo's Lee Junior High. For $29,000, one could argue that it was a good deal, but the structure was in almost derelict condition, having been neglected for years.

Before Fisher, there were a string of tenants; one young boy died there from tuberculosis and an older gentleman who quietly passed away up stairs.

“We’ve inquired into this house a lot,” said David. “We want to know all the ghost stories.”

David also relayed the story he had heard, that at some point in the house’s history, it was used as a “Motel 6” for illegal aliens passing through San Angelo. “When I bought the house, it was empty, except for a bunch of mattresses upstairs. So, whether it’s true or not, it seems to fit,” he told us.

“Then after I started fixing it up slowly and began to really like the character of the house. About the same time, I met Cathy at church. I was renting elsewhere and so for about three years the house just sat here.

In a previous relationship, Cathy had already been through the remodeling routine, so when she married David, was not too excited about going through the process again. But when she saw the house… that was it!

Because the house wasn’t yet fit to live in, the Springer’s moved into a camper/trailer in their back yard until someone turned them in. “We honestly didn’t know, but found out then that you can only live in a trailer for two weeks out of every 6 months. So, ready or not, we had to move into the house,” said Cathy.

Today, the house is still not completed: Much of the interior has yet to be finished, the back porch is targeted for demolition, and both Cathy and granddaughter, Lindsey want a swimming pool (they already have a circulating Lily pond, David’s birthday present from his wife).

Most of the windows have or will be replaced with insulated panes, except those on the porch. They were add-ons from around the 1950’s and are originally from the Brady POW camp, where German prisoners were interned.

David went on to talk about the remodeling details, saying that he has another year or two before he’ll finish the house. But both husband and wife were quick to point out that this seemingly distant target date is not so much a dollar issue.

“This is the house we’re going to live in forever, we just want to make sure it’s done right,” proclaimed David.

One example of ‘doing it right’ is in the new roof where David had to remove (a BIG job, he explained) five layers of old roofing material, dating back to 1898, the year the house was built.

From the columns on the veranda to each picket on there white-wash fence was hand-cut, sanded, polished and painted with lots love and attention.

“We’ve still got a long way to go. There’s just one small wall-unit air conditioner inside and we use plug-in heating units. It was a cold winter this year,” said Cathy.

“How are your neighbors,” LIVE! asked?

“They’re great! It’s not only a great old home, this is a good family neighborhood,” David told us.

Then the attention turned to the dogs: Cody, a 14 year old, setter-lab mix and pint-size, ‘Big G’, a teacup Chihuahua. But the roaming dogs and Granddaughter Lindsey, doing somersaults on the perfectly manicured lawn just seemed to accent that “Happy Days” existence rarely found in today’s busy world.

There are several beautiful old homes on Preusser Avenue, and many of them are kept up well in that grand old fashion of yesteryear. One example, just a block east of the Springer’s, is another majestic old home owned by Joe Muñoz, a trustee of the San Angelo school board. “We admire his garden too,” said Cathy.

David was born in Washington, spent time in the Army and lived for a while in Germany before moving to San Angelo 25 years ago. Cathy was born in Dallas to a military family, lived in Hawaii, Maryland, Louisiana and here since 1992.