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Special Spot in Homer Alaska No One Guessed....Jean Keene The Eagle Lady

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Bay Realty,Inc Homer Alaska

 

So With NO further Suspense........ The Photo was taken in the garden of Jean Keene the Eagle Lady's Home at the end of the road in Homer Alaska. Jean Keene was famous for feeding the eagles and taking care of them thru the winter... because of her love for the eagles... She was known through out the world. Dan Rather and CBS featured her, She was featured in People, Readers Digest, National Geographic, Ripley's Believe it or not and Life Magazine. Rush Limbaugh and Jon Stewart both did stories on her too. She came to Homer Alaska in 1977 and started out by feeding 2 Eagles on the Spit...by 1987 she was feeding upwards of 200 Eagles in the winter on the beach at the end of the road in Homer Alaska.

Environmentalists protested her efforts and applied much pressure to the city of Homer Alaska to stop her feeding of the Eagles.  Therefore an ordinance passed by the Homer City Council in 2006 did prohibit the feeding of eagles within the city limits; however, the city council granted Jean Keene an exemption, giving her special permission to continue feeding bald eagles within city limits until April 2010, at which time Jean Keene would have been 86.

Homer Alaska Eagle Lady

Her gardens were her home. She lived at the end of the road on the Spit in trailers... She was a trick rider in the Red River Rodeo at a younger age and worked with Gene Audry...She had red hair and a quirky personality and was well known as one of Homer Alaska's Most Famous Characters... 

 

Homer Alaska Eagle Lady

 

 

For her love and generous efforts to help the Eagles she was the 2004 winner of the

Lifetime Meritorious Service Award from the American Bald Eagle Foundation.

Jean Keene, the "Eagle Lady" passed away January 13, 2009. She was 85

When she Passed away, letters were written from all over the world to honor her memory.

She will always be remembered in Homer Alaska and all other corners of the world for her love of the Eagles.

Homer Alaska Eagle Lady

The Eagles Still Perch By her Home at the End of the Road....Homer Alaska 

Comments(9)

Ginger Harper
Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team - Southport, NC
Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!

I am glad that you showed it to us.  We had planned a trip to Alaska but due to illness, were not able  to make it.

Another day...

Ginger

Jul 26, 2009 10:10 AM
Debra Leisek
Bay Realty,Inc Homer Alaska - Homer, AK

Oh Ginger... I am so sorry you cant come and hope whatever the illness is that everything will be ok... You can come next year... we will still be here... make sure Homer is on your agenda! 

Jul 26, 2009 10:16 AM
Anonymous
Cary Anderson

Your photos of Jean's summer yard are the nicest I've seen; better than my own. I have many wonderful memories in that yard, summer and winter. Jean may be gone, along with her yard, but her magic will last our lifetime. 'Warmed my heart to see your posting.

 

--Cary Anderson, Author of "The Eagle Lady"

Jul 26, 2009 01:13 PM
#3
Debra Leisek
Bay Realty,Inc Homer Alaska - Homer, AK

Thank you so much Cary, that is such a high compliment coming from you... I am almost speechless.. thank you very much... 

Jul 26, 2009 01:23 PM
Shoshana Shay
St. Pete Realty - Treasure Island, FL

Wow, Debra, I never realised her garden was that spectacular!  Thanks for posting all that about her!

Jul 27, 2009 03:11 PM
Debra Leisek
Bay Realty,Inc Homer Alaska - Homer, AK

she loved her gardens as much as she loved the eagles... come summer she was in full bloom... we miss her...

Jul 27, 2009 03:20 PM
Jenny Kotulak
RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage - Oakville, ON
Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate

What a lovely tribute Debra.  I'm sure the eagles miss her too. 

Jul 27, 2009 05:03 PM
Liz Moras Migic
Chilliwack, BC
Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor

Wow thats interesting - I've never heard of thus.........some amazing people out there.

Jul 31, 2009 05:03 PM
Debra Leisek
Bay Realty,Inc Homer Alaska - Homer, AK

Jenny I think the eagles do miss her... we all do that is for sure... 

Liz you are back! I have missed you... name that photo is not the same without our fearless leader

Jul 31, 2009 05:15 PM