“I miss home before I leave!” exclaims Betty Kramer of  the lovely house that she and her husband, Herb, built in  Coquille in 2003. As a pastor’s family, they lived all over  the United States and Canada, retiring to this area to be  nearer children and a nephew.

After moving from Spirit  Lake, Idaho, Betty discovered that her great-grandfather,  Charles Merchant, had been Asa Simpson’s mill supervisor,  and that she had deep roots in the Coos Bay area.  Herb, who had trained as an architect before becoming a  pastor in the Seventh Day Adventist church, designed and  built their home and much of the furniture that graces it.  His first project, a walnut Danish modern bedroom set, was  finished before they were married, 47 years ago. His hobby  has come in handy for the community as well as he has  built furniture by request, including kitchen islands, entertainment  centers, breakfast nooks, cabinets for the Sentinel  office, magazine and book carousels.

He is helping to refurbish  the Bandon Seventh Day Adventist Church, constructing  a massive paneled wall behind the altar. In his “spare”  time, he works on the beautifully landscaped property, once  a tangle of blackberries and brush.  Betty’s talents are also a boon to the community as she  runs a clutter consulting business on an informal basis.  Years ago, she discovered that many women are reluctant  to invite people into their homes because of their disorganized  closets, kitchens and lifestyles. Since helping a  friend who was going through a divorce, with three young  children, down-sizing into a tiny home, she has helped to  encourage women to look positively at their homes and  lives.

“Your home is your friend; it’s where you’re safe, comfortable  and where you enjoy yourself. You should feel  good about it,” Betty says. She explains that people have a  lot of emotion invested in their belongings, or they just  don’t know how to sort through, discard and organize them.  “But they’re just things – they’re not family and they’re not  sacred.”  Betty meets with clients for a designated time and will  work on whatever they feel is needed. She calls it the  “mouse nibbling on cheese” philosophy: it didn’t get that  way overnight and it will take time to reverse it but you can  just nibble a bit at a time. Often she has repeat customers,  and they are so encouraged that they give gift coupons to  their friends and relatives. The husband of an enthusiastic  client asked Betty to come back and organize his tool  bench.

“Now that takes a lot of trust!” she exclaims. She is  careful never to judge or be critical, but only be there to  offer help and encouragement. Often she begins with a  prayer if the customer is open to that. And she gives hugs,  too!  Discarded books, household items and clothing are  donated to libraries and Goodwill. She is a firm believer in  recycling. She has given talks on de-cluttering your life for  the Bandon Golf Club luncheon and for the After Five  Girl’s Night Out at Frazier’s. When she isn’t busy helping  people take charge of their lives and feel good about themselves,  Betty enjoys reading and writing poetry.  Herb admits that Betty sometimes tries to organize him,  too, but he admires the positive contributions she makes to  people’s lives. And she is a great booster of his carpentry  skills. Together, their complementary abilities have created  a beautiful and organized residence --their home really is  their castle!