When the Holiday Farm Fire roared through the McKenzie River communities in September 2020, Eugene‑area residents faced a frantic scramble to decide what to take and what to leave behind. Among them was local painter Margaret Godfrey, 77, whose home and barn sat in the path of the blaze.
Saving a lifelong project
Godfrey, a Blue River artist known for her series “Educate the Girls of the World,” was working on a collection of canvases that highlight girls’ education in ten of the world’s most challenging countries. The paintings have been on loan to the Eugene Public Library’s Magazines and Newspapers Room on the second floor.
As the fire approached, Godfrey and her retired Forest Service husband, Mike, gathered what they could. “Our house burned up, and these paintings were the things I decided to take,” she recalled. “Now I wish I’d taken my computer.” The couple loaded the canvases into the trunk of their car amid darkness, smoke, and falling embers.
A chaotic evacuation
While trying to secure their horses, the family’s granddaughter – a teen who loved horses – braved the thick smoke to help. “We couldn’t get the horses,” Godfrey said, noting that the animals ultimately survived. The family also attempted to use metal buckets as makeshift breathing tubes before deciding to head for a pond, a plan that Mike dismissed as impractical.
After abandoning the house, the family drove through burning branches and low visibility, eventually reaching the home of Godfrey’s niece in Eugene around 2 a.m. The niece welcomed them with a kitty‑litter box for the cats and gin‑and‑tonics for the adults.
What survived
Miraculously, the barn on the property – which stored hay and some of the paintings – did not burn. A flat pile of canvases remained intact, allowing Godfrey to preserve the core of her “Educate the Girls” series.
She reflected on the experience, saying the decision to grab the paintings was a moment of prioritizing what mattered most to her as an artist. “What I valued most about myself was my art,” she said, adding that she regrets losing other artworks she cherished.
Public display continues
The rescued paintings continue to be exhibited at the downtown Eugene Public Library, located at 100 W. 10th Ave., through Saturday, Sept. 26. Visitors can view the works in the Magazines and Newspapers Room, open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Godfrey’s story underscores the resilience of Eugene’s artistic community and the importance of preserving cultural projects even amid disaster. Her dedication to girls’ education through art remains a testament to the power of personal conviction and local support.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
