By Samantha Meyer
Beacon Correspondent
For more than two decades, Earth Mama Wreath Co. has turned materials from Alger County woods into holiday art.
What began as a way for two friends, Mary Jo O’Halloran-Torongo and Julie Begovac, to make extra Christmas money grew into a labor of love that is as therapeutic as it is productive.
This Chatham-based, woman-owned-and-operated business began simply as a means to provide extra Christmas funds — and maybe a special gift for themselves as well.
Over the past 21 years, the business has expanded far beyond that. Their growth is evident in the work they now do, from fundraisers to local craft fairs, event decorating and, most recently, wreath-making classes.
Their introduction to wreath making came through a member in the community who crafted wreaths for Snyder Drug and lived next door to O’Halloran-Torongo. When she asked the neighbor to make a wreath, the response was unexpected — she said no.
“She gave me a ring and she said, ‘All you have to do is pull these prongs over,’ and I was like, OK,” O’Halloran-Torongo recalled.
Begovac was brought into the process shortly after and learned alongside her.
“Yeah, so she was the inspiration behind us,” Begovac said. “And then we just decided to get together and do it.”
As they honed their skills, friends and family took notice and encouraged them to begin selling their handcrafted work.
“Then Christmas was coming, and we’re like, hey, light bulb, maybe we can sell these and make money for Christmas,” O’Halloran-Torongo said.
Their production has varied over the years and depends on what is happening in their lives, but the work itself has never stopped. Despite the scale of some seasons, Earth Mama Wreath Co. has remained a side business for both women.
O’Halloran-Torongo spent 25 years working as a licensed social worker in Alger and Marquette counties. Begovac built her career as an OB-GYN nurse and continues to work in the field today. Begovac also owns We’ll See Farm, which provides both the workspace and natural backdrop for their business.
All of the materials used by Earth Mama Wreath Co. are locally sourced by O’Halloran-Torongo and Begovac.
“Our stuff is going to be all cultivated and taken from Alger County,” O’Halloran-Torongo said.
The women said hunting for materials has become second nature over the years. Finding materials like balsam, cedar, spruce, white pine, hemlock and tag alder have taken them all over the area.
“What we do actually helps the tree,” she said. “It’ll grow more. It thickens it up.”
In addition to traditional evergreens, they often incorporate nontraditional materials into their creations, including lavender, dried sunflowers and even barbed wire. Those unexpected elements are a part of what makes their work so distinctive. This approach highlights the natural beauty of the area and their willingness to experiment beyond traditional designs.
This year, Earth Mama Wreath Co. embarked on a new venture with the addition of wreath-making classes held at We’ll See Farm. The classes invited community members to come and learn how to craft their own wreaths using the same materials and methods O’Halloran-Torongo and Begovac have used for decades.
“People like it,” O’Halloran-Torongo said. “They come in here and it smells good. And they walk away with, ‘Hey, I just made this,’ and they’re proud of that.”
Begovac added, “It was fun. It was really fun.”
At the heart of Earth Mama Wreath Co. is a friendship between two women that has endured every stage of life.
“We’ve gone through marriages and divorces and deaths and grief and grandchildren and everything that happens over the course of a couple of women working out of a garage,” O’Halloran-Torongo said. “And we’re with each other.”
For details, visit “Earth Mama wreath Co.” on Facebook.