Morrison Chamber of Commerce held a Ribbon Cutting at 11:45 a.m., on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, to welcome its newest member, Marsha Ecker-Heiden. She is the owner of M and M Bed & Breakfast, located at 16477 Capp Road, Morrison, IL. Chamber Director Kim Ewoldsen stated Ecker-Heiden “is proud to be a new Chamber member and is excited to share the beauty of Morrison’s complete country getaway.” Three acres surround the homestead; brother Lamont Farthing farms corn and beans.
This business owner is eager to offer her property to holiday visitors to the area, as well as those who want a quiet, nearby, overnight get-away. There is no satellite or television to distract guests.
Two upstairs guest rooms are available every day. They rent for $79 or $89 (with en suite bathroom) per night, payable by cash or PayPal. Charge cards are not accepted. Pets and children are permitted, but parents need to bring something for little ones to sleep in, such as a Pack ‘n Play.
Ecker-Heiden resides in three rooms on the ground floor, separated from the communal kitchen and dining rooms by pocket doors. Home decor features eclectic, family heirlooms; antiques; massed, vintage collectibles that make a statement wherever the eye lands.
Ewoldsen, left, and Ecker-Heiden talked in the kitchen prior to the ribbon cutting. Cheerful anodized aluminum tumblers, pitchers, trays, and more lined high shelves on three sides of the room. The double M’s stand for Marsha and her daughter, Megan, who is a Senior at University of Texas San Antonio.
Before becoming owner of a family-home-turned-bed-and-breakfast, 30 years were spent in the restaurant business. She will offer a Continental breakfast and stated she will promote local restaurants and gambling opportunities to clients.
She is a fourth-generation owner of the property. A sense of place was demonstrated by the group tour Ecker-Heiden conducted. She explained the significance of items throughout the two-story frame house.
- Great-grandparents Emil and Ada Anderson built the home “in the late 1880’s or early 1890’s,” she reported. “They used to have dances here,” she was told.
- Their son, Bayard, and his wife, Mary Kolb Anderson, married on September 2, 1933, in Rock Island, IL. These maternal grandparents are honored with a wall display of original marriage documents.
- Daughter Carrol (Ecker-Heiden’s mother) married Lawrence Farthing and took over the family residence.
“Mom lived here her whole life.” It was rented awhile and sat empty for five years before October 2000, when Ecker-Heiden took ownership. “I gave mom a check on the following Mother’s Day.”
A stairway approach becomes spot to pause and examine a variety of objects. Write a message on the slate blackboards, but don’t climb the ladder.
While remodeling the en suite bedroom, a signature was discovered on a wall. It was her father’s–Lawrence Farthing. Ecker-Heiden used a piece of original linoleum and framed the signature, which hangs near the bed. Carrol Farthing crafted the denim patchwork quilt.
This bedroom features a chenille bedspread, tree trunk tables, floral rug, and seating area. The separate bathroom began as a servant’s quarters. It now boasts a claw-foot bathtub.
Contact Marsha Ecker-Heiden to reserve a room at M and M Bed & Breakfast at 440-856-9107 or by email: mfarthing1128@aol.com.
Shown left-to-right are, front row, Dana Verdick, Morrison Institute of Technology; owner Marsha Ecker-Heiden; Robin Duncan; sister, Angie Gorzney; Ecker-Heiden’s Aunt, Judy Vogel; Stephanie Vavra, thecity1.com. The back row includes Alderman Vern Tervelt; Scott Stocker, U. S. Cellular; sign maker Mike Turnroth; Pam Pfister, Morrison Community Hospital CEO; Mayor Everett Pannier; Lori King, Blackhawk Waterways; Jan Roggy, Ruth Gundlach Insurance; Kathy Eizenga, Eizenga Tax Services; Andrew Williamson, The Prairie Advocate; Mary Black, Super Wash, Inc., and a cute stray cat; Jean Eggemeyer, Carillon Communications.
Taking photographs were visitors Hillary Blevins, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois; Kim Ewoldsen, Morrison Chamber of Commerce; Jerry Lindsey, Whiteside News Sentinel; Marcel Roggy, U. S. Cellular.
