PEA RIDGE — Donna France pointed out memories as she walked across the wood floors through the living room of her three-bedroom, three-and-one-half-bath house at 16096 Patton Road - a ceramic horse her children made in grade school, a banjo belonging to her husband Gary’s great-uncle killed in the war, an old family suitcase now used as decoration on the staircase.

The Frances have lived in their dream home for 11 years. They celebrated their 30th anniversary in the house before it was even furnished. The family moved from Brush Creek to their 20-acre plot of land in “the country,” France said. Their home joins a barn and crematory used for thefamily business, the Pea Ridge Vet Clinic.

France said her home in Brush Creek was Victorian themed: “Lace ... and all that.”

Now the home’s rooms are individually themed, including horses, log cabin, fishing and a safari master bedroom.

The railings on the open upper level are draped with elkhides and a pair of elk antlers are mounted above the door.

“Gary’s a big elk hunter, I want a head to put there, but so far we haven’t gotten one ... I wanted to tan one of these hides to use as a rug, but elk have hollow hair so it breaks if you walk on it,” France said.

Along with wood flooring and a wooden staircase, the home boasts high, wood-paneled ceilings, which France, with the help of friends and family, finished herself before the builder, C.L. Morgan, installed them.

“We just kind of madeshift what we wanted as we went, I was here the whole time,” France said, of building the home just how she wanted it.

The ash kitchen cabinets are taller than the plans called for, the island was made special to fit the open space left in the kitchen, there is a full bath next to the laundry room instead of the common half-bath.

The porch off the back of the house was an afterthought, she said. Instead of screens surrounding the porch, it features full windows enclosing it.

“There’s no attic, it’s all house,” she said.

Off the entry way is an office showcasing France’s collection of a miniature light-up village of homes.

She has been collecting them for 20 years but didn’t have anywhere to display them but at Christmas time in their previous home.

Now, the collection is up year-round.

“It’s something my mother and I did,” she said.

The home is 4080 heated square feet. It has three separate hot water heaters to cut down on use of electricity in parts of the house not often used.

The France home is one of five on this year’s Pea Ridge Historical Society’s Tour of Homes. Refreshments will be served during the tour Sunday, Nov.

5.

The Pea Ridge Christmas Tour of Homes, sponsored by the Pea Ridge Historical Society, will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5.

Homes include:◊Braxton and Courtney Hurst, 2019 Park Circle;

◊Clark and Pam Tyndall, 2992 Hayden Road;

◊Gary and Donna France, 16096 Patton Road;

◊Jack and Irene Kelly, 1013 E. Pickens Road; and◊Flea Market Plus, Pickens Road and North Curtis Avenue.

Admission is $5 in advance or $6 on the day of the tour. Tickets and

maps will be available beginning Nov. 13 at Arvest Bank in Pea Ridge

or from any member of the Historical Society. For more information, call 586-5574.

News, Pages 1 on 11/24/2010