Neighbors pitch in to help Christmas tree farmer who suffered stroke

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the Spilker Christmas tree farm in North Lincoln.

A dozen neighbors, friends, and total strangers hustled and bustled to get freshly cut Christmas trees loaded onto a trailer and taken into temporary storage.

But these are no ordinary Christmas trees.

These trees will be given to U.S. Troops and their families serving across the world free of charge as part of trees for troops, an organization that seeks to provide military families a normal holiday no matter where they are.

Farmers across the U.S. grow trees, cut them, transport them to a drop off site, and then FedEx delivers them to military bases around the world.

Linda Spilker and her husband Don have been donating trees for almost a decade, but this year without Don to do the work all the neighbors pitched in.

“They’re especially interested this year since Don had his stroke,” said Linda Spilker.

Don recently suffered a stroke and is currently recovering a in a rehab facility.

Unsure of how all the trees would be unloaded and taken into storage, neighbors gathered with friends and total strangers, to get the job done.

One by one trees were taken off the semi, loaded onto trailers, and taken to a storage barn until they’re transported to a military base next month.

Seeing the community come together to honor her husband’s legacy moved Linda to tears, “It’s really special. Good people help good people.”

All that Christmas cheer spread in the spirit of neighbor helping neighbor.