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WEDNESDAY EDITION
Siuslaw News
❘ DECEMBER 14, 2016 ❘
SECTION B
SENIOR NEWS
CALENDAR
Coast Life
O H
C HRISTMAS
T REE
INSIDE — 7B
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Trees — be they Noble, Douglas, Nordman or Grand Fir — line Linda Wilcox’s prop-
erty at 37th Street and Highway 101. Wilcox also offers wreaths and fir swags for sale.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Linda Wilcox’s holiday tree tradition turns 20
T
here are some holiday
traditions that are
passed from genera-
tion to generation and some
that develop over time.
The latter is the case with Linda
Wilcox and her Christmas tree busi-
ness. It started with a few dozen trees
transported to Florence in the back of
station wagon and sold out of her laun-
dromat.
These trees sold quickly and the
seeds of a successful family business
had been sown. Fast forward 20 years
later, and the success of that first hum-
ble attempt has blossomed into a full-
blown holiday extravaganza.
Wilcox moved the enterprise from
the laundromat to her front and side
yards a few years back, and these
spaces are now lined with Noble,
Douglas, Nordman and Grand Firs.
The yard is strung with thousands of
lights and 20 or more inflatable holi-
day characters bob in the afternoon
breeze.
Linda Wilcox is a woman of few
words when it comes to discussing the
amount of time and energy she has
invested over the years building her
business, but she is happy with the
results.
“When I first started this, I had no
idea how big it would become. I guess
I am just really happy that I can bring
a little Christmas cheer to my friends
and neighbors every year,” she said.
When asked how many trees she has
distributed over the years she paused,
thinking for a moment and calculating.
“I have averaged about 350 trees a
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
year and this is the twentieth year, so I
guess about 7,000 trees,” Wilcox said.
High quality trees have always been
an important focus for Wilcox. She
switches out old trees and replaces
them when they start to drop needles
and keeps an eye on the droopy trees.
“I (received) a fresh shipment of 60
trees on Monday, and I will be open ’til
Christmas Eve — or until the trees are
gone, whichever comes first,” she said.
“I have had people come up and ask if
they can get a tree on Christmas morn-
ing.”
Over the years, wreaths and swags
have been added to the inventory avail-
able to customers.
Wilcox also collects food and cloth-
ing for distribution to local charities.
“This year we are collecting food for
the Kiwanis. Folks can stop by and
drop off cans of food and help them-
selves to some cookies and hot choco-
late,” Wilcox said. “And Santa will be
here on Saturday to visit with the kids
from 4 to 7 p.m.”
The seasonal fun doesn’t end when
the sun goes down as there is a roaring
campfire going at night to keep visitors
warm and dry.
There is also a covered porch that
has lots of snacks, casserole dishes and
coffee and hot cocoa, all for free.
Wilcox smiled easily as she sat and
looked around at the little Christmas
land she has created for the communi-
ty.
“I started out hoping to bring in
some good trees and to make a little
money, I never expected it to be such a
big hit,” she said.
Wilcox’s tree lot is located on the
corner of 37th Street and Highway 101
and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Linda Wilcox (above) has been running her tree lot
at 37th Street for 20 years. It is now a family tradition
as well as a community standard, with fresh trees
through Christmas Eve. Bright lights, holiday decora-
tions, festive music, an evening bonfire — even a
visit from Santa Claus on Saturday, Dec. 17 — are all
part of the fun for the whole family.
Confectionary construction
Siuslaw Public Library hosts annual family gingerbread house party
T
here’s no place like home for the
holidays — especially a tasty ginger-
bread house. Siuslaw Public Library
Youth Services Librarian Gayle Waiss con-
tinued the holiday tradition of inviting
community youth to the library Saturday to
decorate graham cracker houses with royal
icing, marshmallows, chocolates, breakfast
cereal, pretzels and candy — tons of
candy. Mapleton High School students
(right) helped Waiss and library staff con-
struct the building materials during a
recent field trip. Hundreds of youth and
their families attended throughout the day.
PHOTOS BY MACKENZIE CLEARY AND CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS