Tree of Life Story

December of 2006, we went to Lubbock, Texas to visit friends and family for the holidays. On Christmas day, we opened presents at Ann and Joe, my in-laws home. Each year, they give a special gift to their children. This year, the girls in the family received a very special “handmade” necklace. Ann knows Ginger Bundock, of Baubles, in Lubbock. Ginger is a jewelry artist who designs one of a kind pieces for her clients. Ginger took various charms from Ann’s collection of charms, mementos, pins and other tokens from the family's past and made them into a necklaces for each of us. My necklace contained two special pins: Ann’s pin that she received when my husband, Rip earned his “God and Country” Boy Scout pin, 40 years ago and also a pin from her father's past, which he earned while in the oil business. This was very special, since her father died in a plane crash a week before my husband Rip was born. Rip was named after him. So to get something from his grandfather’s past, that he never had a chance to meet and who he was named after, was very special to both, my husband and me. Just a collection from her jewelry drawer made into a necklace with stories behind each memento. Such a very special gift to treasure and to pass down to our daughters.

On the drive home, Rip asked me what I was going to do that necklace. He said, “ You cannot just bury it with everything else I keep in your closet.” He was right, I keep those special reminders because I can't bare to throw them away. This really got me to thinking, how much “Stuff” do I really have hiding? I started cleaning out my drawers in my closet and found things that I had forgotten about, like my beloved Chu’s dog collar, best present my husband ever gave me and I miss him terribly, every day! I could never throw that collar away, I loved that dog, a lot! I found concert tickets, that Tony Bennett autographed, which was a surprise trip for my husband Rip’s birthday gift to Las Vegas, two pins from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, my Super Bowl XXXI pin, where the game was played in New Orleans and Z Z Top performed halftime, my grandfathers cigarette lighter and bottle opener, both from the 40’s, Rip's peace ring from high school, my grandmothers pendant she wore to church and many other things over the years.

I decided I wanted something to display my keepsakes on in my office. I found nothing, anywhere, to fill my need, so I decided to create something attractive, that anyone would keep out all year long.  I came up with the name I wanted, “Tree of Life®”. I went to an attorney and started the process, filling out necessary paperwork for trademarks and a provisional patent, which allows for a year to come up with a design of your product. After creating the suggestion of usages to obtain the trademarks, the TREE OF LIFE® was created. Of course, the patents are still pending, but we have our design and have filed a design patent and a utility patent and now the Trademark is registered.

I  also had to search for a manufacturing company, I met Pete Vickerman of the Vickerman Company. Pete is a third generation Christmas tree manufacturer and distributor out of Minnesota. I made an appointment with Pete at the Dallas Market and I presented the tree idea and the keepsakes to Pete. He loved the concept and we began work on manufacturing the Tree of Life®.

The next step was the design of the tree. The first tree created was not even close to the design I wanted. I made revisions and awaited the improved design. The tree arrived, and once again, it just wasn't right. It looked too much like a Christmas Tree. At this point, I knew I was going to have to go beyond describing my ideas and send my own sample and general design to the manufacturer.

In December of 2007, I received a tree that was perfect in design, but the texture was not what I wanted. Rip, who is a home builder, always uses an oil-rubbed bronze in his homes for hardware and this was the look I wanted for “My” tree. Finally, a tree arived with the right texture and design, but Rip thought it needed just one more touch. He added a few crystals to the branches to give the tree for “a dressed up look”, now we have several styles, colors and finishes of the Tree of Life®. 

The tree was not only a beautiful design, but also easy to ship. It comes in two parts and when assembled it has eight sides to give the tree depth, and many branches to hold memories, the tree finally came to life. Jennifer our daughter wrote a poem that tells the concept of the Tree of Life®. I decided to add a poem to every tree, which I think makes the Tree of Life® complete. Now my treasures sit on my TREE OF LIFE®  where I can look at them every day in my office.

With our first Dallas Market hitting in June of 2008,  I will be introducing theme trees like; "Make A Wish" for the Bride and Groom Tree™, Baby 1st Everything™, Nana Scrapbooking Tree™, The Graduation Tree™, Price Family Tree™, Quinceanera Tree ™or Money Tree ™ followed by another trade show in Atlanta in July with more trees to come to the Tree of Life® family.

This looks to be a lively year for the TREE OF LIFE®, so please check back and see what new trees will be added to the family of the Tree of Life®.

Thank you for your time.

Rip and Nancy Horkey