(This article was originally published in the Elizabethtown Merchandiser on Dec. 18, 2024.)
“Everybody from E-town came into this house at some point, and now I want to welcome everyone from E-town back into this house,” said LBC alumna Stephanie (Lutz ’12) Schaefer.
LBC alumna Stephanie (Lutz ’12) Schaefer in the former drawing room at 40 W. High St. / Photo from Elizabethtown Merchandiser
The house she refers to is located at 40 W. High St. in Elizabethtown. It was the home of Dr. Reuben Gross and his family. Gross, who is Schaefer’s great-grandfather, was the town veterinarian, practicing for 61 years.
“He received an award for being the oldest practicing vet in Pennsylvania,” Stephanie recalled. “He was in his 90s and still practicing.”
Stephanie remembers spending a lot of time in her great-grandparents’ home, a house that dates to 1824. She rode her tricycle through the hallways and hopped up and down steps leading to an alcove in the wall where people could pick up medicine from Dr. Gross from an alleyway.
“My brother and I say often, ‘This was not our address, but this was where we grew up,'” Stephanie shared.
Although multiple generations of her family have occupied the house over the years, the property went up for auction in 1955 and the family’s connection ended – until one day last year.
Stephanie’s mother, Sara, lived with her and Stephanie’s husband, Kimmel, until Sara’s death in 2021.
“For the first year after she died, I grieved normally,” Stephanie said. “The second year, something else set in. I had a different kind of grief. Instead of missing her, I just had to be back in E-town.”
She credits Kimmel with supporting her as she worked through her grief, frequently driving her from their home in Willow Street to Elizabethtown.
“One time I said, ‘Let’s go by Grandpa’s house,'” Stephanie recalled, noting that she referred to her great-grandfather Dr. Gross as “Grandpa Gross.” “It looked empty, so I came to the back door and saw there were two men inside painting. I tapped on the door and introduced myself. All I wanted to do was tiptoe through the house and go down memory lane.” Continue reading…