Sadly, actress Betty White’s former Brentwood home, one she had lived in for some 53 years, has now been demolished, barely a year after the Hollywood icon herself passed. This according to an article by Janelle Ash and Angelica Stabile on www.FoxBusiness.com. The star, herself a fixture in Hollywood, died on New Year’s Eve, 2021 at the age of 99 after having suffered a stroke. She was just a few weeks shy of what would have been her 100th birthday.
This past Sunday, however, White’s assistant, Kiersten Mikelas, who is in charge of the late star’s social media account shared a post on White’s Instagram announcing that the "Golden Girls" star’s former residence now no longer stands:
"Hello all! I owe a post (or two) I know. This is such a busy time of year and coming up on the anniversary of Betty’s passing is hitting in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Her Brentwood home is no more (save the fireplaces which will be gone in short order). I promise a wonderful tribute to our most wonderful lady very soon!!!!" the caption read.
The post contained an image wherein a remaining fireplace was the only thing left on the excavated lot. As might be expected, many of White’s devoted fans were quick to let their thoughts be known in the comment section of the post, with many expressing their concerns on why White’s home was torn down.
"Why in the world would they tear it down?" one user wrote, adding a sad face emoji. "This is terrible! Why demolish such a beautiful icons [sic] home not even a full year after her passing?!" another added.
White’s former Los Angeles residence had been listed for sale back in April of this year for $10.5 million. It was listed as a “tear-down”, which apparently gives the new owner(s) permission to demolish the property. Entertainment Tonight reported that the home sold for $10.678 million in June.
The single-family dwelling which had originally been built in 1952 seems to have had a fairly quick closing after hitting the market for the first time in more than 50 years. White’s husband, Allen Ludden, had first purchased the property in 1968. White had remained a resident there until her death in December 2021.
Alas, however, it seems that the setting was worth more than the actual structure. Described as “parklike” and “lovingly cared for”, the property overlooks the Getty Museum and also affords excellent views of the mountains. Importantly, the listing also noted that the property would be a “unique opportunity to build your dream home” on a flat lot in a “serene country setting”.
I personally found this article somewhat intriguing. Multiple websites put Betty White’s net worth at the time of her death was upwards of $75 million. Given this, her home constituted about one seventh of her total worth. For most of the rest of us, our home constitutes a much larger portion of our total net worth. Indeed, for most people, it is their single biggest purchase in all of life.
And yet, whether we die a millionaire or a thousandaire or a hundredaire, whatever we leave behind, we leave behind. It is no longer ours. Ironically, of course, as this story demonstrates, that which we spend the vast majority of our lives maintaining, caring for, cherishing, or even perhaps pampering may not last much longer than we do!
In Betty White’s case, she passed on; and so did her earthly dwelling. She is gone; and so is her home! And she is not alone. My father’s dwelling, the one in which I was raised, no longer stands. Indeed, the man who bought the farm tore it down and built anew there.
The same is true for my grandfather’s house, and my great grandfather’s house. And those are the ones I knew of. The structures in which their fathers lived, and in which they themselves were brought up, are also long gone. The dwellings in which they were all raised have all been razed!
All of this has led me to be thankful for any and every home in which I have dwelt in this world. To my knowledge, at least two of them are already gone! But even more importantly, all this has led me to be thankful for the fact that I have a home awaiting me one day that will never pass away!
In the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 1-3 (New Living Translation), we read the following words of Jesus Christ to His followers:
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
As one of His followers, I am thus thankful for two things here. The first is that I shall one day live forever due to the grace of Jesus Christ. And the second is that I shall then dwell in a home prepared for me by my Him “always”.
You too can have these same blessings. In the next three verses in this same passage, we read:
“And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
The way to eternal life in a home that will last forever is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! I have such a relationship. I hope you do as well; for of so, then we can be neighbors forever!
STORY SOURCE:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/entertainment/betty-whites-los-angeles-home-demolished-nearly-year-after-death.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://biblehub.com/nlt/john/14.htm.
This past Sunday, however, White’s assistant, Kiersten Mikelas, who is in charge of the late star’s social media account shared a post on White’s Instagram announcing that the "Golden Girls" star’s former residence now no longer stands:
"Hello all! I owe a post (or two) I know. This is such a busy time of year and coming up on the anniversary of Betty’s passing is hitting in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Her Brentwood home is no more (save the fireplaces which will be gone in short order). I promise a wonderful tribute to our most wonderful lady very soon!!!!" the caption read.
The post contained an image wherein a remaining fireplace was the only thing left on the excavated lot. As might be expected, many of White’s devoted fans were quick to let their thoughts be known in the comment section of the post, with many expressing their concerns on why White’s home was torn down.
"Why in the world would they tear it down?" one user wrote, adding a sad face emoji. "This is terrible! Why demolish such a beautiful icons [sic] home not even a full year after her passing?!" another added.
White’s former Los Angeles residence had been listed for sale back in April of this year for $10.5 million. It was listed as a “tear-down”, which apparently gives the new owner(s) permission to demolish the property. Entertainment Tonight reported that the home sold for $10.678 million in June.
The single-family dwelling which had originally been built in 1952 seems to have had a fairly quick closing after hitting the market for the first time in more than 50 years. White’s husband, Allen Ludden, had first purchased the property in 1968. White had remained a resident there until her death in December 2021.
Alas, however, it seems that the setting was worth more than the actual structure. Described as “parklike” and “lovingly cared for”, the property overlooks the Getty Museum and also affords excellent views of the mountains. Importantly, the listing also noted that the property would be a “unique opportunity to build your dream home” on a flat lot in a “serene country setting”.
I personally found this article somewhat intriguing. Multiple websites put Betty White’s net worth at the time of her death was upwards of $75 million. Given this, her home constituted about one seventh of her total worth. For most of the rest of us, our home constitutes a much larger portion of our total net worth. Indeed, for most people, it is their single biggest purchase in all of life.
And yet, whether we die a millionaire or a thousandaire or a hundredaire, whatever we leave behind, we leave behind. It is no longer ours. Ironically, of course, as this story demonstrates, that which we spend the vast majority of our lives maintaining, caring for, cherishing, or even perhaps pampering may not last much longer than we do!
In Betty White’s case, she passed on; and so did her earthly dwelling. She is gone; and so is her home! And she is not alone. My father’s dwelling, the one in which I was raised, no longer stands. Indeed, the man who bought the farm tore it down and built anew there.
The same is true for my grandfather’s house, and my great grandfather’s house. And those are the ones I knew of. The structures in which their fathers lived, and in which they themselves were brought up, are also long gone. The dwellings in which they were all raised have all been razed!
All of this has led me to be thankful for any and every home in which I have dwelt in this world. To my knowledge, at least two of them are already gone! But even more importantly, all this has led me to be thankful for the fact that I have a home awaiting me one day that will never pass away!
In the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 1-3 (New Living Translation), we read the following words of Jesus Christ to His followers:
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
As one of His followers, I am thus thankful for two things here. The first is that I shall one day live forever due to the grace of Jesus Christ. And the second is that I shall then dwell in a home prepared for me by my Him “always”.
You too can have these same blessings. In the next three verses in this same passage, we read:
“And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
The way to eternal life in a home that will last forever is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! I have such a relationship. I hope you do as well; for of so, then we can be neighbors forever!
STORY SOURCE:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/entertainment/betty-whites-los-angeles-home-demolished-nearly-year-after-death.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://biblehub.com/nlt/john/14.htm.