Help Trapper Ben Recover
Many of you know Ben Sudul personally, and for those who don’t, he is a local legend. A member of the Estacada community for more than 60 years, he is affectionately known to neighbors as Trapper Ben for his work trapping nutria, muskrat, skunk and other nuisance critters in the 1970s.
Ben’s passions include knapping arrowheads, and photographing wildlife and spectacular examples of lightning around the country. He proudly served our country as a member of the Marine Corps during the Korean War, and has taken part in local parades and festivals for decades, dressed in his buckskins and coonskin cap, as shown in the photo above.
We are hosting this GoFundMe because Ben’s longtime homestead, Skull Ranch, originally built in 1892, was destroyed by fire Friday, July 30th. Although the fire report has not been officially released, the cause appears to have been animal damage to the electrical wiring. Unfortunately, Ben's home—located on property featured in the recently released movie Pig—was uninsured (he was unable to insure because the house lacked a foundation), and burned with everything in it. Our goal is to ensure that Ben has a safe and liveable, not fancy—those of you who know him know he would not want that—place to be. About $2,200 has been spent thus far to pay for a new electrical meter/electrical wire/conduit/ground rod/electrical pole/breakers and miscellaneous supplies. The permits and the labor to install everything were donated, and we are so grateful.
The Red Cross and its volunteers have been amazing; they arrived immediately and have been with us throughout this stressful time. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do.
Sadly, Ben’s young, much beloved kitten, Tiger, has not been seen since the night of the fire, though we're still hoping she might return. Please keep an eye out for her if you are in the area of Currin road.
Ben is 89 years old and very independent, and we want to help him create a home he can return to. There has already been an incredible outpouring of love and support, including generous donations of all kinds, and we opened an account at Key Bank for anyone in the area who doesn't feel comfortable contributing online.
Lots of work is being done on the property every day, and the 5th-wheel Ben was so generously given is being prepared so he can move in. It will need a ramp and railing so Ben can safely enter and exit, and a grab bar inside, and eventually it will need to be winterized. If anyone has any lumber they would be able to donate that would be terrific, because the price is so high right now.