Carolyn Martens
The Durant Education and Service Sorority is looking forward to its largest fundraising effort, the Annual Parade of Homes! This year, the Parade of Homes will take place on Sunday, Dec. 2.
Homes on the tour will be open for viewing from 1-5 p.m. In conjunction with the Parade of Homes, there will be a gift show at Opera House Coffee, 200 Evergreen St., from 12-5 p.m., with booths featuring beauty products, home decor, clothing, and more!
Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. They can be purchased from any DESS member, as well as at Bliss Boutique, Marie’s, The Medicine Store, Hot Shots, and Kopper Kettle. Money raised from this event goes directly back into Bryan County via a Southeastern scholarship and donations to county schools, J127 Ministry, the Pregnancy Center of Bryan County, the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival, as well as several other local philanthropies.
The second home to be featured on the tour is located at 809 West Elm in Durant. Craig and Yalonda Rennie are the owners and occupants of the home, which they purchased in April 2018. Although they are technically retired, they have recently received approval from the city to operate the home as Always Dream Bed & Breakfast! This historic home has been on the Parade of Homes in years past, but Craig and Yalonda are thrilled to show this amazing home on the tour this year.
The Colonial style home was built in 1014. It is approximately 4,860 square feet, with five bedrooms and six bathrooms. Craig and Yalonda are both enjoying learning about the house’s history and discovering all its secrets. Although, they feel it will take them years to do so, as Yalonda has said, “It seems that every time we talk to someone about living in the house we hear another story about how they or someone close to them grew up in the house, as friends of one of the previous owner’s numerous children.”