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CHILD OF THE
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Jon Cavaness considers himself a child of the lake. While he did not grow up in a home on Lake of Egypt, the shores and waters of the lake are the territory where he spent most of his youth. His wife, Lisa, has grown to love the lake as much as her husband. “Many people have been lifelong residents of the lake and love it,” she says. “We are new lake-loving residents.” Jon and Lisa were born and raised in the Marion area and are devoted to the community. Lisa is a retired Marion elementary teacher and, after retirement, has joined in helping out with their business, Jackson and Gray Insurance in Marion. Both Jon and Lisa wanted to continue to be part of the Marion community, 40
Lake of Egypt Living
BY TERRANCE GEESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIE BAER
and Lake of Egypt, they say, is close enough to their office to allow them to continue their strong involvement in the Marion community. “It is about 18 minutes to the office and it is a nice, easy drive,” Jon says. “On my way in to work, I can think about my day and on the way home, I can think about the day and maybe make a few follow-up phone calls.” He also has time to reflect and look forward to the beautiful sunset in store for the couple at the lake. And, with an abundance of services at the lake, the couple finds once they arrive home, they really don’t need to leave the lake as services in all facets of life have multiplied. Places such as, Egyptian Hills, Mack’s Marina, Pyramid Acres, and the Lake of Egypt Country Club add to the enter-
tainment of the lake. The couple acquired their home at Lake of Egypt in 2014 – not a new home, but a home built about 40 years ago. The purchase came at a time when they were in the midst of a major reconstruction project, rebuilding a 110-year-old Marion office building that had been damaged by fire. The crews working on the office building finished that job and switched sites to start updating and remodeling the Lake of Egypt home. The project soon made extensive changes to the home that gave it a fresh, updated look. When the work started in November 2014, the house had two bedrooms and an attached garage, but you had to go outside to access the house. The walkout
