The sun parlor and the sleeping porch above it were added in the 1924 remodel. The wicker furniture dates to that time. The family spent lots of time here listening to the radio and reading their magazine and newspaper subscriptions. All the way until Florence moved out in 2002, the house never had a television or newer technology, not even air conditioning. They were content their whole lives to live as simply as they did 100 years ago.

Many people remember seeing Florence sitting in this sun parlor in her old age with her newspapers and her magnifying glass, listening to the radio, and reading. She especially loved listening to baseball games and painting in her spare time. Many of her paintings are displayed throughout the home, which will be noted throughout the tour.

Because they didn’t have traditional work schedules outside of the home, Ruth and Florence were free to volunteer, learn business dealings from their father, and present themselves appropriately as Beaumont socialites. They worked with the local chapter of the American Red Cross and put together kit bags to support the war effort. Their mother Edith was a great example to them of a modern woman, serving as the board Secretary of the family’s oil company. Homer deeded some rental property to the girls, making them responsible for the management. Florence helped her father with the oil business, eventually becoming President following his death until the company dissolved. The sisters also researched stocks and new patents being filed to get in on the ground floor and make investments, including small startups such as Kodak, Kraft Foods, and Nabisco. When Homer died in 1952, he left behind an estate worth $141,000, but through their frugal nature and good business sense, the trust established upon Florence’s death that gave us this museum was worth approximately $12.8 million!