By Patricia Cruz
RR Press Staff Writer

July 4 marked four years since the torching of Grants Pass' Caveman statue at the north entrance to town. It was this heinous act that motivated John Stripling to miraculously stand and walk again
after more than two years. John Stripling and his wife Gloria, owners of Summer Breeze Sculptures (fiberglass art) and Wildlife Treasures (antler art), moved to Rogue River from Washington state
seven years ago on the recommendation of John's neurologist to relocate to a warmer climate to relieve his arthritic pain - the aftermath of a crippling automobile accident leaving him faced with
a prognosis that he would never walk or work again. The time the Stripling's have spent in Southern
Oregon have been nothing short of a miracle. A fiberglass manufacturer for nearly 30 years before
his accident, Stripling was overcome with compassion and frustration when he heard of the vandalism and torching of the 17-foot-tall fiberglass caveman statue that has been Grants Pass' unofficial greeter at the corner of Morgan Lane and Sixth Street since it was installed on Memorial Day, 1971. His frustration grew when he learned the Caveman Club had the money to repair it, but were unable to find someone willing or capable of doing the repairs.
"I got down on my hands and knees and prayed so
hard for hours, I broke out in a sweat with uncontrollable
tears streaming down my face," said Stripling. "When I
woke up the next morning, I was able to stand up and
walk for the first time in years."
And so began John Stripling's new lease on life.
Within days, Stripling was in contact with the
Chamber of Commerce and the Caveman Club accept-
ing the job of repairing the city mascot. As the repairs
progressed, Brady Adams, Chief Executive Officer of
Evergreen Federal Savings and Loan Association saw
Stripling's work and invited him to lunch.
"By the end of lunch, Brady
asked if I would be interested
in creating 62 fiberglass bears
for the 2005 Bearfest," said
Stripling. "My response was
sure, but I've never done any-
thing this small. One of my
larger creations was a 30 foot
troll."
Stripling's son Christopher, a tank driver for the National
Guard, was instrumental in the creation of the fiberglass
bears. (A sidenote: Just recently, Christopher received
word he is being deployed to Iraq, putting his fiberglass-
ing on hold until his return.)
In 2006, in recognition of the 230th anniversary of the
signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Grants
Pass downtown area was transformed into a patriotic
paradise. Stripling had once again been commissioned
by Adams to create 23 life-size, life-like eagles, one for
each decade since the signing.
Speaking of city mascots - Stripling's most notable
work in Rogue River was the re-fiberglassing and paint-
ing of the Rooster, representative of the National Rooster
Crow which initiated in the early 1950's, located at the
corner of Depot and Main Streets.
A year ago, the Stripling's put their home on the mar-
ket and on Tuesday they accepted an offer and the
paperwork was processed and in escrow before the end
of the day. After seven years, the Stripling's have decid-
ed to go home to Mt. Vernon, Washington.
"There are no words to express my appreciation for
the support and kindness we have enjoyed while living in
Rogue River," said Stripling. "We will truly miss its seren-
ity and beauty."
Stripling pauses for a moment to emphasize how he
could not have done any of this without the love and sup-
port of his wife and business partner, Gloria.
When asked to what he attributes his recovery,
Stripling responded without hesitation.
"I owe my thanks to Jesus Christ."