House party marks 50 years of memories

The guest of honor at this 50th birthday party got stepped on, knocked around and trampled. It was typical of the past 50 years.

These are terms of endearment -- for a house.

Ruth and John Sinnes threw a party Sunday for their house, the 13th built in Security.

Security they wanted, security they got.

"Fifty years ago today, we moved in," said Ruth Sinnes, 76. "We wanted to move to the country."

The couple invited friends, and a banner invited passers-by to share in a cake celebration at the Security Boulevard home that now sits near a busy commercial district.

"I said, 'If I'm still alive when August 1 comes around, we are going to have a big party,'" said 80-year-old John Sinnes.

He expected several hundred people to attend the daylong open house.

If walls could talk, these would tell a love story.

It's about a young plumber and his wife who moved in with three little girls, added a fourth and filled the years with happy memories.

The little blue house had four rooms, a bath and a basement. It was surrounded by cornfields and sunflowers.

The house and extra lot set the couple back $7,700. The mortgage payment was a whopping $53 a month.

"When we bought it we thought we'd never get it paid for," John Sinnes said.

Not once did they consider moving.

Instead they built up the place, adding an extra level to accommodate their growing family. The sprawling backyard became a tourist attraction.

"I'm a country boy and I had to have some birds," John said. "I bought three pheasants from a guy, paid him $3 apiece in silver dollars for those birds."

That led to more birds -- swans, emus and rheas.

"I had as high as 68 peacocks," he said.

There were four-legged critters as well. Shetland ponies. Deer. Sheep.

"A hobby gone wild," he said.

"We wanted to be farmers, I think," added his wife.

She led hundreds of school children on field trip tours through Sinnes Bird Park.

The couple bought several houses on one side. A daughter bought the house on the other side. Another daughter lives a few blocks away. The home is a gathering place for 12 grandchildren and 6 greatgrandchildren.

"Two of our daughters were married in our yard, and we've had three other people married in our yard," John said.

He opened the place to pals from his hometown, Wild Horse, 100 miles from Security.

"It used to be every three years we'd have a Wild Horse party, then people started dying so we had it every two years," he said. "Finally we had to give up on it because there was nobody left to come."

The couple had a hand in developing their community. John helped start the volunteer fire department and served on the water board.

"All of a sudden it's 50 years. They always say time goes fast when you are having fun," Ruth said.

Time has caught up with them. They soon will be looking for a buyer for the place.

"It's a horrible thought," John said.

Health problems necessitate their move to smaller quarters. They haven't chosen where.

Their granddaughter, Jennifer McIntyre, 24, doesn't like to think about it.

"My favorite place is at Grandma and Grandpa's," she said. "I cherish every day."

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0253 or abrown@gazette.com

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