Friends rally to repair roof before winter

MEADOW LAKES — Those seeking the definition of a strong, free-spirited Alaska woman shouldn’t be surprised to find a photograph of Jeanne Phillips as part of their search.

The 62-year-old artist and gardener came to the Last Frontier in 1977 and lived in a tent while building her Meadow Lakes home. She’s proud to be an independent soul and values her friends and neighbors. She hauled her own water for 25 years and heated with wood for many years. She’s also a recognized name in the local art community as a stained glass artist.

“I built my house myself in 1977 and did all the roofing myself,” Phillips said. “And it lasted 25 years.”

By the time her self-built roof needed replacing, she hired a roofer to do the job, which began a series of events that would lead to what’s become a two-year nightmare for Phillips.

Although a friend recommended the person who did the work, that person turned out “to be a horrible roofer who didn’t use any tarpaper or anything,” Phillips said. “It was leaking (soon after the work).”

When she went up to check out the leaks last fall, her left foot went through the roof up to her knee, twisting it. A longtime friend who’s a carpenter also attempted to repair the shoddy roof, which had developed large holes and gaps, but the job’s bigger than he can handle, too.

“She really just basically doesn’t have a real roof over her head,” said that carpenter, Geoff Butler. “All she has now is a tarp. We’re going to help her out and I’m volunteering some time to help structurally repair the roof.”

The leaky roof also has led to other problems in Phillips’ home, she said.

“There’s so much leaking down the bathroom and kitchen walls,” she said. “My kitchen cabinets have been damaged, then the mice got in and there were mushrooms growing on the wall.”

Then came the recent windstorms, which displaced a large tarp that had been temporarily covering the house. Then this past week came the deluge of rain that’s caused flooding around much of the Valley.

“It blew the tarp off and there was, like, two inches of standing water in the kitchen and more damage,” Phillips said. “It’s been this ongoing, horrible summer.”

Butler and other friends of Phillips are trying to turn the tide on her “horrible summer.” After unsuccessfully appealing to the Alaska Community Development Corp. for help, longtime friends Pat Tremaine and Brooke Heppinstall started putting the word out about Phillips’ plight. The response, Heppinstall said, has been remarkable.

“It’s only been about 10 days and we’ve raised a little over $5,000,” she said. “She got a quote from a roofer (for what it would take to fix the damaged roof) and it was $6,500 and that was pretty reasonable. Then I thought, well, if we get 200 people involved, that’s only $32 a pop. That’s doable.”

While hitting that goal of $6,500 in time to get Phillips’ roof fixed before winter sets in is the top priority, Butler said he would be thrilled to raise more to also fix other damage. If possible, it would be a good idea to replace the entire roof, not just the damaged part. That, he estimates, would take about $13,000.

“This really can’t wait until next year, no way,” he said. “She’s gotta have a decent roof before the snows hit. Unfortunately, Jeanne’s not in a physical condition where she can do that sort of work anymore, and financially, too. I’m really glad other people are responding.”

Along with her roof and physical limitations, Phillips has also been dealing with the aftermath of a break-in that saw some of her art equipment damaged, including her camera. Even so, when she learned her friends were stepping up, Phillips said she can’t help but feel humble and “very blessed.”

“It’s really heartwarming,” she said. “I’m a very private person and I’ve been feeling pretty isolated. I’ve really become a recluse. It’s wonderful to know you’re not forgotten, because it’s been about 10 years since I’ve been able to do the fairs and the (art) shows.”

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

Anyone wanting to help rebuild Jeanne Phillips’ roof can send donations, including contact information and an email address, to Pat Tremaine, 4600 N. Slumber Dr., Palmer, AK 99645.