Meet the LaFoys
By JOSHUA MARSHALL
Contributing writer
There's a new life for two buildings on Peabody's 1880s Main Street. The prominent red brick Tumbleweed building, and the stately limestone Turkey Red hold up our downtown district's southern edge,lonely witnesses to a past of craftsmanship and architectural style. Both locked and boarded up — until the LaFoys came to town.
Leslie and David LaFoy are a special type of people. Where conventional wisdom would dictate one course, they pioneer their own lifestyle. The old circa 1884 buildings were just what they wanted.
Leslie is author of 15 books, and David is the second generation owner/operator of Venture Sales & Engineering. Their son, Garrett LaFoy is also self-guiding.
"David and I have often remarked that when it comes to sports, our son seems to think that he lives on the East Coast," said Leslie. Garrett plays ice hockey and lacrosse; neither of which, of course, are common sports here in the Midwest. He plays both sports on Wichita teams and at competitive tournament levels.
"We don't want to know how many miles of travel we've logged over the years hauling him around." Leslie sighed. Then adds "One year, we went to Calgary, Alberta, for a tournament. Since moving to Peabody, he's taken up golf, too. At least it's a 'normal' sport."
Until 2006 the LaFoys were living the impersonal existence that is big-town/big business America. "We came from the Goddard area. We lived there for 20 years. I shopped at the local grocery store almost every day for those 20 years and no one ever knew my name. No one," said Leslie.
The LaFoys came to Peabody on a quest for an old building to renovate. In the early 1980s, they developed what's become a long love affair with the renovation of old buildings, beginning with their first home, a Victorian bungalow built in 1888 on North Market in Wichita. The house had gone to seed, and the LaFoys "restored it to its former glory and enjoyed every second of the process."
In Goddard they had a fixed up a contemporary home, and while it was a fun challenge they said "contemporary architecture just doesn't have the history, the heart, or the soul we want in a home."
When they got to Peabody they not only found the buildings they wanted, but also the hometown experience they'd been missing.
"Peabody isn't just a place, it's a state of mind and a lifestyle," Leslie said. "We drove into town one windy and cold April Saturday morning and within an hour knew that this was where we belonged. The second time I walked into Peabody Market I was greeted by name.
"Life is personal in Peabody. Going to the store is both an economic transaction and a social occasion. I know there are people who prefer to go through their days anonymously, but we prefer to be connected to the people around us and to the community in which we live," Leslie continued.
"The second time we came up to Peabody to look at the properties, we went into Sharon's for a cup of coffee and to discuss the 'big move.'
"We were remembered from the first trip up here, welcomed back, and offered any help we wanted," said Leslie.
"On our first real estate shopping trip to Peabody we came to look at the former bank building with the thought of converting it into a loft-style living space for us. We were so charmed by Peabody and its people that we decided to move the business here as well," Leslie said.
David LaFoy's trade is industrial heating, but Leslie describes her husband as "an industrial problem solver." Cessna in Wichita calls on his 30-plus years of manufacturing experience to "design and fabricate specialty pieces that facilitate an efficient production process." His business is Venture Sales & Engineering, an industrial heating sales and service business. "If you want a garage, shop, or warehouse heated or ventilated, he's the man to call," Leslie volunteered.
Since last year the LaFoys have been rehabilitating the Turkey Red building to house the business, with plans to restore the former bank building as well. "Our intention is to keep all the present historic structural and architectural elements that we possibly can, and restore those that make the buildings functional for modern living and usage. In terms of style, we call it 'Modern Victorian' — which isn't as much as an oxymoron as it sounds," said Leslie.
Peabody's close-knit sense of community and good neighborliness is what prompted the LaFoys to exchange the conveniences of their former home's proximity to Wichita. They admit to some hesitation over asking Garrett to relocate to a new town and school just before his senior year, but they say in hindsight they all wish they had made the move to Peabody years ago.
"Everyone in our families has been to visit, to see the 'Peabody Project,' and all have commented on how absolutely perfect Peabody is for us. We agree. We're very happy here. We feel as though we have truly come home," Leslie said.
Their happiness here seems to be infectious, too. David's mother, Phyllis, will be moving up from Wichita in the next few months. Her Aunt Madge and Uncle Paul managed the Safeway store here in the 1930s and she has fond memories of childhood summers spent here with her cousin, Jolene.
In parting, Leslie divulged, "My parents, who currently ranch east of Tulsa, have been charmed by the sense of community in Peabody, too, and will be house-hunting when they come up for Garrett's graduation in May." Leslie's dad's family is from the Kipp and Solomon area of Dickinson County. His grandmother taught school in Council Grove in the 1890s.
For the LaFoys life seems to have come full circle.
