Johnny Carson's Childhood Home Renovated

[Brett Ferino]

NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — The childhood home of retired talk-show host Johnny Carson is being renovated by two South Dakota men.

"The house is kind of magical to me," said Rick Runge of Sioux Falls. "I expect him to walk through the door and say, 'Pick a card.'"

Carson, now 77, was the host of the "Tonight Show" from 1962-92. He grew up in Norfolk and graduated from Norfolk High School.

Runge and Jim Pruett of Brandon say restoring and maintaining the four-bedroom house is important. After all, Runge said, it was Carson's first stage.

The two men say they've written Carson, asking him for details about the original decor and furnishings so they can try to duplicate them, but so far, he hasn't responded.

They aren't quite sure what they're going to do with the house, which they're restoring to the way it looked in the 1940s.

Pruett said he'd like to see it become a Johnny Carson museum.

"The house draws a lot of attention," Pruett said. "It's ironic no one from Norfolk has taken an interest in it."