Saginaw County natives Bob and Lana Traub don’t know the meaning of the word retirement. 

In their mid-60s, the couple is themselves physically redoing every nook and cranny of their 1951-built ranch house in Saginaw Township’s Golfside -- inside and out, from adding insulation to stringing lights inside the soffit to revamping a fireplace; starting in 2007 when they moved in. 

“There is no division of labor,” says Lana. “We both do whatever needs doing, often together. Bob came from a family of builders and at 16 was a finish carpenter.” He hand-created many of the cabinets in the home as well as the bed in the master bedroom.”  

And she’s been busy with a sewing needle and a paint brush for decades. Nearly 15 of the paintings hanging on the walls were painted by her as well as colorful designs on three pieces of furniture. And she fashioned the fashionable slipcovers on much of the furniture. 

The Traubs are the fifth owners of the 1,600-square-foot home. To date they’ve installed soffits and facia, sanded and stained the floors, reconfigured and installed an all-new Ikea kitchen, insulated, built a ceramic tile fireplace, redone the two bathrooms, repainted inside and out, reglazed the front window, re-plastered and landscaped the property.

“It still needs new windows throughout,” says she, and a new pine floor on the sun porch. 

She’s from Zilwaukee; he from Birch Run and Carrollton. Married for 47 years, the Traubs lived east of Chesaning for 30 years while he worked for UPS. “We wanted to move back to the city,” she says. He retired in 1994, in 1998 they moved to another house in Saginaw Township (“a house we did not like,” she says) and then in 2007 found their calling at Benton. 

“Over at the other houses I had painted wall murals, and in Chesaning had painted a 12-foot mural,” she says. “We painted over them so we could sell the houses. Now I do my paintings on canvas that go in a frame.” 

Lana says she bought a  book on how to paint and is entirely self-taught. From 1988 to 1999 she was heavy into making and selling crafts -- Teddy Bears, Christmas tree ornaments, “500 things to keep myself excited.” 

At last count, the Traubs have a collection of 1,500 Christmas tree ornaments -- ones they made as well as eclectic ones bought at garage sales and auctions. 

Holiday Housewalk visitors should particular check out the small U-shaped kitchen. It sports three layers of lighting, a four-tired spice rack, a farm sink, a pull-out faucet over the stove for a handy filling of cooking pots, and all appliances cleverly hidden from sight (ask her to unhide them).