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| - The reality of dying was thrust upon Boyce Luther Gulley in his prime. Choosing not to live a life of quiet desperation awaiting the end, he ran away from home, family and friends. Those were sad but wondrous times of soul searching and physical activity. In his heart was permanently etched the vision of those precious moment in time when he and his little girl, Mary Lou, built sand castles on the beach in Seattle, Washington. How she would cry when the tide washed them away. "Please, Daddy, build me a big and strong castle someday that I can live in. Maybe you ought to build it on the desert where there is no water." He would smile and wonder perhaps it's no coincidence that he migrated to Arizona, where he gradually regained his health. So he built her a native stone castle: 18 rooms, 13 fireplaces, parapets and many charming nooks and crannies, then furnished it with southwestern antiques.
The "king" died in 1945, before he could send for his family. The little girl now an aged "princess", dwells in her "sand" castle, and is living the last fairytale. By conducting tours, Mary Lou Gulley maintains the castle and perpetuates her dream.
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