Famous Woodbury Tree Lit up For Holiday

Motorists traveling south on Route 36 first spot it about a half mile outside the tiny community of Woodbury.

The blur of red, green, yellow and blue lights to the right slips out of view as the road dips but comes back into sight as the traveler passes the Woodbury Church of the Brethren. But it isn't until one passes the Logue farm that the full splendor of the massive tree, which has developed a significant following, comes into full view.

Yes, John Over and his sons Joe and Ed have done it again this year.

Towering high above the traditional bungalow that has served as home to the Over family for more than a half century, is the massive pine tree, dwarfing the house through out the year, but making it nearly blinding when the lights are on.

"We always say that we're going to have it on by Thanksgiving or earlier," said Joe Over as he sat at the dining room table in his boyhood home.

And the Overs do not disappoint. Finishing touches on the tree were made two weeks ago and the switch was flipped.

Topping off at 45 feet tall, seeing the tree has evolved into a holiday season tradition for many with a watch set up on Facebook, which includes pictures and announcements that preparations for Christmas can move forward. Over's tree is lit.

Thanksgiving is important, Joe said, because many people traveling to the Bedford-Blair region for Turkey Day may not be back around closer to Christmas. And the Overs are pleasingly aware of the wide following the tree has developed.

"It certainly is something that gets a lot of attention," said John, now 97 years old.

A tree history

The history of the tree comes quickly to this near centurion.

The house, right along Route 36 at the top of the hill leading into Woodbury, was built in 1950 when John's parents, Ed and Roxie, were moving off the farm.

"He bought a little spruce tree three or four foot high and planted it at the front of the house," said Joe, speaking of his grandfather.

"It took just one 15-light set to decorate it, so you know it wasn't too big."

For several years, as the tree grew in height, John's dad was able to decorate it using a step ladder.

That step ladder was put away in short time and now 72 years later, it requires four-foot extension ladders and the help of local companies with hydraulic ladders to reach the uttermost heights of the tree, now estimated at 45 feet.

Community cares

The effort is massive, but one that is appreciated by the thousands of Route 36 travelers and has a special meaning for many Woodbury area residents.

"Oh my goodness, it's just so special to us all," said Cheryl Smith Pote, who lives with her husband Joel in the Dry Hill area of the borough. "It means home to me, the holidays are friends, neighbors and that tree."

Cheryl is the daughter of Charles and Betty Smith of upper Hipples Cave Road, and born in 1954, she can recall Over's tree from her very youngest years.

"I remember it even from the time I was small," she said.

The tree is so impressive it was the focus of a fund raiser for the Woodbury Community Center several years ago, she said. A top quality photograph of the tree was reprinted on card stock and sold around the area.

"I remember I got some and sent them out as Christmas cards, Cheryl said.

Community newcomer Joe Amato, who moved to Woodbury about a decade ago, said Over's tree generates a lot of comment.

"On a scale of one to ten, it's an 11," said Amato. "For such a small town, it's a big thing for us."

Amato and his wife operate the OIP restaurant along Route 36, a stone's throw from the tree.

Meanwhile, John continues with a strong constitution and emotional dedication to see that the tree is ready in time to light the way of holiday travelers.

In his younger years, John, a dairy farmer who was also involved in public works, found that as his father aged, much of the labor of the Christmas tree was left up to him.

"But usually someone would come around and help," the elder Over said.

Joe remembers when the Woodbury Elementary School was still used for education, tree day was a big deal for the young students.

"All the kids would look out the windows," he said.

Putting it together

An involved wiring system was developed some years ago by Joe and his brother Ed that allows the massive number of seven watt string lights to remain in place year round.

Usually on one well-planned day, when the sun is not shining, the Overs add additional strings of lights, as needed due to growth and replace burned out bulbs.

"We have to do it when it is cloudy out so we can see which bulbs need replaced," Joe said.

The task of reaching the top of tree has been simplified in recent years through the assistance of bucket trucks from New Enterprise Rural Electric Cooperative and Zimmerman's Electric.

Current count has the light strands at 30 and growing annually and along with purchase of replacement bulbs and light strands needed for growth, operating the tree for the holiday season can be pricey.

Last year's electric cost to keep the tree lighted ran about $600, Joe said, a bill that is usually covered by donations from appreciative passersby.

Most of the donations are in $5 and $10 denominations but last year a passer by from Baltimore stopped and donated $100 while another, stopping as the men were working, laid a $50 bill on a step of one of the ladders.

"He gets enough donations to cover the cost," Joe said of his father. "People are very kind."