SAN DIEGO — At News 8 we have an archives warehouse and sometimes we find lost footage in that warehouse that is decades old. In this Zevely Zone, I revisited a story with the legendary Bob Dale that aired more than 40 years ago. We caught up with the family Dale interviewed in 1976 who lived in San Diego naval housing in Murphy Canyon.
First things first, I need to give all of the credit for this story to our incredible News 8 archives editor Barbara Nielsen. She is the one who found this footage and tracked down the Warren family living near Salt Lake City, Utah.
The first time I watched the old story I had a big smile on my face. It shows Bob Dale laying down on the carpet in a woman's living room.
"I don't know how you came up with artistry to do this," he said.
Bob interviewed Aleta Warren who spent nearly two years collecting carpet remnants from carpet stores in order to sew the scraps together for her house.
In his report, Bob Dale said, "Honest friends, normally I wouldn't lie down on the job like this but I want to get as close to this beautiful carpeting and, of course, the lovely lady who made it possible, Aleta Warren. I can't believe it."
We tracked down Aleta Warren's family living in Utah and spoke to them online.
"So let me get this straight Bob Dale comes in your house and he just lays down on your carpet and he interviews you like this?" I asked.
"Yeah, that is what he did," Aleta said.
Aleta and Dan Warren have three children who were very young in 1976 when Bob Dale interviewed the family.
In the lost footage, Dales' interview with Aleta went like this:
"You tell the folks how you got these beautiful pieces of carpeting and wait until you see the other rooms," said Dale.
"Well I went around to about six or eight carpet stores in town that sell carpet and asked if I could I could have their remnants what they threw away and they said 'OK' so I climbed in the dumpster after they threw it out," she said.
To which Bob said, "She climbed in these great big steel dump things and pulled out bits and pieces just like this and show the folks before you even made the design how you sewed them together. 'Oh I'm sorry Jerod, Jerod loves the carpeting too."
Bob accidentally bonked Aleta's baby on the head with a carpet remnant. That baby is all grown up now.
"That's OK. I forgave him. That was a long time ago," said Jeremy Warren with a laugh.
His sister Andrea also joined us for the online call. In the Bob Dale report, viewers can see her sleeping on her bed holding a doll.
Dale asked Aleta, "What is your daughter's name?"
Aleta told her," Andrea."
Dale then said, "Andrea. Can you realize how lucky she was? When you were a little girl wouldn't you have loved to have Bambi on a carpet?"
This is when we learn in the story that Aleta not only carpeted her house for free but she turned the flooring into an art project. She used the bits of carpet to make characters like Bambi and other animals. "Yes, Bambi was my favorite character," said Aleta.
Andrea is all grown up too.
"I do I remember the Bambi carpet," she said.
"And I do remember helping - in air quotes - my mom sew some of those carpets."
Her mother used small clips to connect the carpet bits with thread and needle.
"Well I thought I needed to so that it wouldn't slide and get all messed up when I was sewing it," said Aleta.
To which Dale responded, "You rascal you were six months pregnant crawling in and out of those rubbish bins."
Aleta completed the project during her husband Dan's two- year Navy deployment. When Dan returned home?
"I thought it was fantastic. I can't believe she had such a wonderful talent that I didn't know about," said Dan Warren.
Also, stitched into the carpet were the words "Home our Heaven on Earth."
I asked the family if they still believe those words.
"It was a wonderful place to grow up," said Jeremy.
"For sure. Of course, it was," said Andrea.
The perfect place to roll out the Bambi carpet for Bob Dale.
"He was very nice and friendly," said Aleta.
News 8's legendary Bob Dale passed away in 2008 at the age of 83. See below for the original report on the Warren family: