Copeland, Spohn residences featured in Christmas Homes Tour

Five local homeowners are opening up their homes to the public next Saturday, Dec. 12, during a special Holton Christmas Homes Tour. 

Held as a fund-raiser for the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the homes tour has been set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that Saturday. 

The tour will include homes owned by Brian and Nicole Meerpohl, Kerwin and Carolyn McKee, Gerald and Cheryl Copeland, Pat and Doyle Spohn and Joy and Dale Clements. 

This is the first of two articles detailing the decorated homes.

Pat and Doyle Spohn, 802 Colorado Ave.

Nestled just off the intersection of Colorado Avenue and Eighth Street, Pat and Doyle Spohn’s home is full of modern and eclectic Christmas decorations, with “pops” of color found throughout the home.

The Spohns have resided in Holton since 1993 and have lived in their current home since 2004. They’ve used silver and gold decoration to adorn their fireplace. A large tree in their dining room is filled with red ribbon and gold and red ornaments. 

A ceramic Mr. and Mrs. Claus, painted by Pat in the 1970s, sits on the windowsill above the kitchen sink. A gold ornament with a pink ribbon hangs on a small white tree as a reminder of Pat’s battle with breast cancer four years ago. 

“I love decorating,” Pat said. “This is fun for me. I’ve been working on this for a month.” 

The Spohns are no strangers to the holiday homes tour, as the couple participated in the Holton Homes Tour in the 1990s when they owned a Victorian home on Iowa Avenue. 

Besides the Christmas decorations, the Spohn’s home is full of color and personality. Unique artwork is hung throughout the home, and the office includes African art and necklaces as a nod to Pat’s trip to Africa in 2008. 

An extra bedroom on the west side of the home is painted pink and is filled with a bedroom set Pat’s mom won in the 1920s. 

The couple enjoys antiques and sold them for a period of time. Pat has also worked as a hairdresser and also cared for her grandchildren when the kids were younger. Doyle has worked as a technician for Trans-Canada for 22 years. They have three kids, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

“We try to work around the kids’ schedule each Christmas,” Pat said. 

Besides decorating for the holiday, Pat enjoys making Christmas candy, like peanut brittle.

The Spohns have always had a do-it-yourself attitude when it comes to their homes. Shortly after they married, Doyle bought a Reader’s Digest book on home repair. He’s learned everything from plumbing to electrical work to tiling. He uses his skills often in the homes they own.

“We re-decorate a lot,” Pat said. “Being on the homes tour motivated me to do some deep cleaning. I love doing it, but it’s a little stressful. I look forward to visiting with everyone who stops by.”

Gerald and Cheryl Copeland, 114 S. Iowa Ave.

With spare materials, sweat and lots of imagination, Gerald and Cheryl Copeland have transformed a blacksmith shop and barn into a warm and rustic home – a perfect setting for the holidays.

Previously used a woodworking studio for Gerald, the Copelands began dreaming of renovating the space as a home about five years ago. 

Re-purposing materials from barns and homes throughout the county, the Copelands have customized the space and have been living in the home for more than a year.

The wooden beams in the open living area are highlighted with Christmas lights. Stockings have been hung by the fireplace with care, and two Christmas trees are ready for homes tour visitors. 

The larger of the two trees is decorated with traditional gold ribbon and red, gold and green ornaments, and the other is filled with the family’s favorite ornaments collected through the years. 

A wooden village, carved by Gerald – a professional sculpture and carpenter – sits on the coffee table. A wreath and a hand-painted snowman picture add to the charm of the décor.

“We’ve had a blast creating this home,” Gerald said. 

The home features heated cement flooring that’s been stained, double front doors and shutters instead of curtains or blinds. 

Most of the furniture, including the coffee table and bed frame in the master bedroom, were created by Gerald. A desk from a lawyer’s office was turned into a vanity in the master bathroom and wooden doors from a house torn down in Holton line a wall in the master bedroom. 

A small stained glass window, from a former church in Holton, was inset into one of the walls in the home, and the laundry room also includes an etched-glass window with a deer-motif that was formerly used in the house Gerald grew up in. 

A floor register found during construction is on display above the kitchen stove. 

“We’ve been collecting materials for a while, and people always think of us when they’re tearing something down,” Gerald said. 

The couple kept the original limestone wall exposed inside, and it runs along the west portion of the house. 

Gerald and Cheryl are both Holton High School graduates. They have three children and one grandchild. Cheryl works at Medicalodges Jackson County. 

“We both really love it around here, and we wouldn’t live anywhere else,” Gerald said. 

Tickets for the homes tour are $20 and can be purchased at Denison State Bank, Holton National Bank, The Farmers State Bank and online at www.exploreholton.com

Tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information about the homes tour, call the Chamber office at 364-3963.