First local Habitat for Humanity family celebrates mortgage payoff with mortgage burning

The first family to pay off its mortgage in the traditional manner through Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, making monthly mortgage payments, celebrated with a mortgage burning ceremony last week.

Owned by Becky and Ray Seiber, the home just north of Oliver Springs in the Cove community was also the first house built by the then-new Habitat for Humanity chapter in 1992. The Seibers are considered the affiliate’s first family.

Becky Seiber said she and Ray had two teenage daughters when they moved into the single-story, three-bedroom home two decades ago, and the family was “dirt poor.” The house, on 0.75 acres on Breeden Lane, made a critical difference in their lives, boosting their confidence and helping them survive.

“The home has been a blessing,” Seiber said.

At the time it was built, Habitat for Humanity had been looking for someone who had land available for a house. The Seibers were then living in a dilapidated, single-wide trailer on land owned by Becky’s mother. She donated it once she learned Habitat was interested in helping the family.

“We needed the house, and they needed someone with land,” Seiber said.

Twenty years later, some of the volunteers who helped build the home are no longer alive. But their hard work lives on in the memories of other volunteers and in Becky’s encouragement to Habitat volunteers to remember that everyone needs a helping hand sometime.

Today, Becky Seiber said, she is a housewife, her husband works at parts manufacturer Acraloc on Flint Road in Oak Ridge, her children are grown, and her oldest grandson—who might not be alive without the Habitat house—wants to teach college history.

“It makes a difference,” Seiber told Habitat board members at the mortgage burning celebration at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Wednesday. “It counts.”

It was a joyous, tearful occasion for Habitat employees and volunteers.

“We are so proud of this family and their dedication to seeing this program through,” said Jennifer Sheehan, HFHAC executive director.