A local painting to save a Scottish family home

Local artist Linda Jolley has lived in Greybull for 36 years now, but she still carries her Scottish accent.

Jolley grew up in the hills above Gourock, Scotland, with seven sisters. Her parents, Charles and Nuela Gallagher, lived across the street from each other as children. He went off to war, came home, and the two were married.

“Neither one of them ever dated anybody else,” Jolley said. “It was just so darling.”

Nuela was bubbly and outgoing, the type to put on red lipstick and ask if he wanted a kiss. Charles was stoic and stern, the type who would have told her they had to wait to get married.

The two began leasing a small farm over 60 years ago, with Charles running a little lumber mill while Nuela raised their girls. They had sheep, goats, and a garden.

“We all worked hard, but we had a lot of fun,” Jolley remembered.

Eight years ago, Nuela’s health began to decline as she battled dementia. Two of Jolley’s sisters, Marie and Eileen, stayed with their parents to help care for them in their old age. When Nuela passed away this November, Charles was soon to follow.

“He died of a broken heart, my dad,” Jolley said.

In many parts of Scotland, property leases can pass to the children of the original tenant. The Gallagher sisters believed they would be able to continue paying rent and live out their days on the farm. However, the estate owner informed them that the property would be put up for sale by November. The family has been offered the chance to purchase the home, if they can raise the money.

“The memories are just endlessly good… All of us want to keep it, but especially for my two sisters, because at 65 and 66, where are they going to go?” Jolley said.

Jolley has been a practicing artist in the Greybull area for decades, known for her wildlife-themed paintings. In hopes of helping her sisters buy the family home, she is raffling off two original works.

One, titled “Sunset Over Shell,” features Chimney Rock and longhorn cattle. The 32” x 16” framed oil painting is currently on display at Big Horn Federal in Greybull. Tickets can be purchased at the bank, from Jolley’s friend Benjiporn, or by contacting Jolley directly at (307) 921-2459.

The second painting, “Dust and Glory,” is available at Cottonwood Interiors in Cody. The piece — a depiction of a bronc rider and an American flag — recently won top honors at the Days of ’49 Art Show hosted by the Big Horn County Arts Guild. The raffle will run through September.

Jolley recalled taking her daughter, Michaela, to visit the family home when she was about seven years old. “My heart is in Scotland,” Michaela had told her. Memorial gardens have since been planted for Jolley’s parents where they used to sit and watch the sunset.

“I want to take the grandkids... I think I always thought it was ours… my dad put everything in that house,” Jolley said.

Her sisters have also created a GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/z8t3hc-save-our-family-home.

“It is never easy to ask for help, but ask we must to save the only home we have ever known,” Eileen wrote in the fundraiser.