Persevering Year After Year  – by Kathy Tucker

PremierWest Bank Awards Skip Geear the Community Star Award, Veterans’ Edition and has donated $1,500 to the Wood House Preservation Group.

photo credit: Gary Wilkinson

Eagle Point, OR – The Woodhouse Preservation Group announced today that it was presented a $1,500 check from PremierWest Bank.  PremierWest Bank sponsored a Facebook Contest looking for a Veteran in their Community that deserved recognition for their work in the community, a Community Star!  The First Place Winner received $1,500 to their winner’s favorite charity.

Skip Geear was nominated by his daughter Becky Geear Chong, for his work with the Woodhouse Preservation Group, and today Geear was presented with the winning check in the amount of $1,500 for the Wood House Preservation Group.

photo credit: Gary Wilkinson

Geear said, “The Wood House has been through so much from 2001 through 2008.  We didn’t know what the future would hold for this treasured and historical landmark.  Even though it is probably the most photographed house in the Northwest, its destiny was still not certain until recently.  The chance that it desperately needed — to live on rather than fade into history — finally came with the birth of the Woodhouse Preservation Group.  In the past four years the Wood House has thrived thanks to the efforts of many dedicated people:  the volunteers with their unselfish donations of time, labor and a web site; the folks that donated money to keep the house open along with their artifacts to furnish the interior of the house; and Diana Gardener and Judson Parsons for making this endeavor possible with their purchase of the land that the Wood House sits on.  Also, big thanks to the community for their undying support of the Wood House via their interest and their votes for myself and the Wood House during the Community Star Award contest sponsored by PremierWest Bank.  And a very special thanks to my daughter Becky for nominating me as a contestant for the Community Star Award and for making this wonderful gift from PremierWest Bank possible.  Her support of me has always been relentless and devoted.

Since 100% of all money goes directly to the Wood House, the $1,500 check from PremierWest Bank will keep the Wood House open to greet the public for another year.  Due to the present economic situation, the money is definitely appreciated and it is a precious gift that is much needed for the continued future of the Wood House.

photo credit: Gary Wilkinson
L->R Sandra Erskine, PremierWest Bank, Skip Geear, Becky Geear Chong, Vera Jones (granddaughter of Walter Wood)

In closing, I would like to thank PremierWest Bank for making this all possible, and also a deep thanks to our dedicated volunteers and to the community for their support in the past and for their continued support in the future.  A special tip of the hat to PremierWest Bank for the $500 gift to each of the other four veterans that were finalists in the contest.  Each veteran is definitely deserving of the money that they received!”

Since the beginning in 1870, the Wood House has fought heavy rains, snow, the Columbus Day Storm, hail, fire, vandalism and county politics, and through all of this, the most photographed house in Southern Oregon still remains to welcome you to come and visit. See how western primitive living really was in the late 1800’s!

Woodhouse Preservation Group mission is to preserve, protect and cultivate local history at the Wood House through activities, tours, and educational events, thereby creating awareness and prolonging Rogue Valley history.

The Woodhouse Preservation Group is a registered non-profit 501 c3 charitable organization.

For additional information or to set up an appointment to tour the Wood House call: (541) 826-2177 or visit https://oldwoodhouse.org/

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