AROUND THE CORNER: Miller and Bella Gehrke

Miller and Bella Gehrke are a husband-and-wife team who manage The Thompson House Inn and The Cottage at 303. Miller is wrapping up his final semester to obtain his bachelor’s degree in marketing and management. Bella has a bachelor’s degree in business, specializing in marketing, promotion and hospitality. She previously worked for Tory Burch corporate, and Miller’s prior work was managing a small engine business. Together, they say they enjoy rehabilitation, styling and decorating of historic homes, and they feel they are blessed to fulfill those passions in their daily work.

• Are you a native of Leland? If yes, how long has your family been here? If not, what made you choose Leland? We are not natives of Leland; we moved to Leland after falling in love with the Thompson House.

• What are your favorite hobbies? Miller’s hobbies include fishing, landscaping and hosting. Bella’s hobbies are antiquing, decorating and
spending time with friends and family.

• Are you a reader? Are you reading anything currently? The Bible is our book of choice.

• Do you have a special interest in music? What genres? We love listing to 70s, 80s and 90s genres of music.

• How about movies or theater? We love both movies and the theater.

• What would you do with the winnings if you won the lottery? If we won the lottery, we would rehabilitate more historic properties.

• How would you change the world? We aspire to encourage others to recognize and invest in the importance of history through preservation.

• What is your favorite food? Homecooked!

• What is your favorite season and why? Our favorite season is summer, because we love to travel in that season.

• Do you prefer mountain or beach vacations? Miller prefers the mountains, and Bella loves the beach.