Key home

Family history surrounds the Key home east of Fort Gibson. It is on a family allotment.

Key family embraces history on farm

40-acre property used for farming, raising pigs

Emily and Cody Key’s family lives on a 40-acre piece of Fort Gibson history.

“This is an original Indian allotment to my great-great grandmother, said Emily Key, who is of Cherokee ancestry. “The land was given to her and got passed down. She had seven children, and her last one became a lawyer in Texas. She decided to put the land in a trust, so the land went to the oldest living male heir. When my great-great grandparents died, it went to my great-grandparents.”

They have a copy of Cherokee citizen Bell Brown’s deed, dated Feb. 24, 1905, and filed Dec. 10, 1914. Cody is Choctaw.

Key said her family used the property through the generations, farming and raising pigs.

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos by Mandy Corbell

ABOVE: Cody and Emily Key enjoy their farm house with two daughters, Eleanor, 6 and Penelope, 2.

LEFT: A back patio features an entertainment area.

BELOW: Hagrid, the Great Pyrenees, has lots of room to roam on the Key property.

The Keys moved to Fort Gibson from the Oklahoma City area because they wanted to live closer to family. Emily Key said they originally used a builder, but became dissatisfied. So they built the three-bedroom house themselves, with family and subcontractor help.

“Our friends helped us, and my parents have a construction background,” she said. “My family is Cook Construction. So, my dad started calling in all the favors he needed. Randy Menie at Firstar Bank was our loan officer, and he helped us out.”

The Keys moved into the house three years ago. They now share the farm with their daughters, Eleanor, 6, and Penelope, 2, as well as a Great Pyrenees named Hagrid, a brown hound named Cowboy, two cats named Minnie and Daisy, plus 18 chickens.

The vaulted front porch faces west.

“We sit on the front porch a lot during the summer because the girls like to play

Windows provide lots of natural light to the dining room.

right there,” Emily said.

Inside, hollow pine beams surround the entry and support the vaulted ceiling in the living area.

“We had a couple of really good trim guys, Steve and Gary Crawford,” she said. “And their brother Chuck did all the cabinets. They were a huge help.”

In the living room, a wood-burning fireplace has a white brick hearth and mantle. Built-in cabinets and shelves are along one wall.

Christen Heath of Blue J Home designed cabinets and lighting throughout the house, Emily said.

Kitchen cabinetry includes doors with windows and doors without. Open shelves in one corner display plates, bowls and jars. Wide drawers are great for trays. Deep drawers for pots and pans help the family avoid having to dig into cabinets.

LEFT: The master bathroom features a bathtub with a window and plate glass surrounding the shower.

BOTTOM: The living room features a vaulted ceiling, brick fireplace and built-in cabinets.

Emily Key had convenience and easy access in mind when the kitchen was designed.

“I’m an occupational therapist, so I thought this will be the house we live in for forever, so I made sure everything was as accessible as possible,” she said. “All of our doors are 3-foot doors. There are 4 feet between the islands. Drawers pull out so you can get to them easier.”

Pete Peterson of Fort Gibson did the plumbing. Stainless steel Whirlpool appliances came from Lowe’s.

Lighting fixtures come from sources as varied as Pottery Barn and the Shades of Light Store.

“I’m an occupational therapist, so I thought this will be the house we live in for forever, so I made sure everything was as accessible as possible.”

— emily Key

A built-in dining room hutch was a last-minute decision — and a good one.

“My grandma had a hutch and she always kept her Armetale,” Emily Key said, referring to Wilton Armetale platters and tableware.

“My aunt had me registered for Armetale, and I have used that stuff so much over the years,” she said. “I had that in mind when we were building this.”

Windows on three walls add lots of natural light to the master bedroom, which has a tray ceiling and fan.

The master bath has a shower

LEFT THEN CLOCKWISE: Natural light fills the master bedroom from three sides.

Chickens have their own space in a backyard pen.

The Keys grow radishes, carrots, lettuce and potatoes in their garden.

surrounded by plate glass and a window by the bathtub.

On the other side of the house, Eleanor’s room has big picture windows, rainbow wallpaper and a unicorn on the wall.

“I like to put pictures on its horn,” Eleanor said.

Penelope’s room also has lots of natural light. The toddler bed has a mattress on the floor to keep her from crawling out.

The girls’ shared bathroom has two low shelves that pull out to help them reach the sink and brush their teeth. Emily said the shelves lock in place.

The Keys combined their laundry room with their mudroom with access to the garage. It has a sink, cabinets and folding shelf.

“We wanted to be able to come in and hang up their stuff, or throw it in the laundry,” Cody said.

Emily said she wanted the laundry/ mudroom space, because she knew they were going to live on a farm, so they needed space and convenience.

“That’s why I put the cabinets in between,” she said. “That’s why I put a sink in here. I use the sink a ton. That’s why we wanted all the storage.”

A bonus room upstairs, used for storage and a play area, has a closet and access to a walk-in attic.

The back patio has an outdoor sofa set and faces the sunrise.

Beyond the back patio are a play area, chicken coop and garden. This year, the family is growing radishes, carrots, potatoes, onions and lettuce.

“When it gets warmer, we’ll plant peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, and beans, corn,” Emily said. “Corn, we’ll probably just have as a wind-break.”

Wednesday,May 11th

7:30AM WELCOMING CEREMONIES 7:45 First Round of Play Corporate Night 1 6:00 pm Sister Stone Band

Thursday,May 12th

7:30AM Second Round of Play 4:00 pm Ladies’ Sip n’ Chip Corporate Night 2 6:00 pm DJ Micheal Rappe

Friday,May 13th

7:30 am Third Round of Play Corporate Night 3/Shootout

Saturday,May 14th

7:30am Final Round of Play Awards& Closing Ceremonies

Sign Up for Pro-Am Play

(afternoons 9th &10th) &Sponsorship Opportunities

@Real-okie-championship.perfectgolfevent.com

2400 N. CountryClub •918-683-0291

All Proceeds go to Local Non-ProfitOrganizations

Looking forahomewith alittle outdoor space?

Call STACYALEXANDER!!Call StacyAlexander!

When you’re ready to buyorsell! 918-869-2323

stacyalexander@suddenlinkmail.com 2408OldShawneeRd918-683-1221

Welcome to

GREATTHINGS ARE HAPPENING….

If you haven’t been to Broadway Liquor in awhile then you are in for atreat. We are making improvements inside and out. We have installed brand new gas pumps with the latest technology for abetter customer experience. In the coming year we are committed to investing more in our store to make this a complete one stop shop.

WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR WINE SELECTION….

We invite you to come see what’snew at Broadway Liquor.