same location
are the angel
on the silo,
the nativity
on front of
machine shed, a
Christmas tree
on a small shed
by the silo and a
large poinsettia,
hanging on the
garage.
Today, from
one end of
the Thoenes’
farmplace,
east to west,
Christmas
illuminates the
dark winter
evenings. The
400 feet of
white fence on
the front of the
property is lined
with strings
of Christmas
lights but they
are not hung
haphazardly.
Karen tapes
each individual
bulb so it stands
up and laughs as
she describes it
as very tedious
work, taking
four hours.
Last year she
changed the
strings of lights
to the LED
version and
Dan pointed
out he didn’t
think they were
as bright in the
night, noticing
the bulbs were
closer together
but smaller and wants her to go back to the traditional strings of lights.
She always takes suggestions and is weighing the idea as she gets closer
to this year’s season.
Starting on November 1, Karen starts the decorating process,
especially working on the most tedious jobs first when the weather is
still somewhat warm. By doing something every day, she makes her
deadline for the start of December. Dan even designed a tool she could
use to hang lights on the garage from the ground.
Collecting the vast assortment of figures doesn’t happen overnight.
Karen started by going to garage sales and watching for auctions which
listed Christmas decorations. She favors blow-mold figures as they
are easy to set up and is not very fond of plug-in, blow-up Christmas
critters. She remembers coming home from one auction with one
particularly nice Christmas decoration which she paid quite a chunk of
change for.
“You go to those auctions and kind of get caught up in the bidding
and all of a sudden, I realized how high I was bidding,” Karen said
laughing. “I really, really wanted that piece.” To this day Dan doesn’t
know what she paid – well maybe until now.
Some of the items she has accumulated are very old but still work
well and add to the Christmas magic. Other pieces were given to her
by people who didn’t decorate anymore.
“They often said it made them feel good to drive by and see their
pieces in our display,” Karen said. The couple receives so many
compliments about the display and throughout the year people stop
them and ask if they are putting up the display again. They enjoy the
traffic which slowly drives by to catch all the pieces which light the
night. Recently, one car stopped and the visitors got out and walked
through the display, enjoying the sights on a peaceful night and last
year a bus load of elementary students stopped to walk through the
display with Karen.
One year Dan built an archway across the driveway only to find the
UPS truck did not fit through it and deliveries had to be walked to the
house that season. They didn’t do that again. Karen also incorporates
patriotic pieces in her display to honor veterans and patriotism like a
lighted flag and flags for the elves because their candles have long since
disappeared.
The Thoenes’ neighbor, Terry Hagan has gotten into the swing of
the season by adding some lights and candles which lead down to Hwy
57 with a solar-lit Christmas tree on the corner. He gets help from his
mom who searches garage sales in Yankton. He also set out a container
of candy canes for visitors who stop to look.
West of the Thoenes’ house is a large area which remains open,
decorations along the back by the silo. For years it has been the family
football field and there’s always a game going on over the holidays. But
this summer the Thoene boys have been wondering if they are getting
too old for those fun times and are considering starting a targetshooting family contest.
Karen, with a gleam in her eyes, quietly said, “Yes.” Another wideopen area to fill with more Christmas ideas, decorations and displays.
Dan has been very helpful over the years, arranging electrical hookups
and boxes for all the cords in various buildings so it’s easy for her to flip
the switches around 4 pm every evening to start the Christmas show
and then flip off about 10:30 pm. She also checks all the displays quite
often during the season to make sure everything is working.
The seasonal lighting display ups the couples’ electrical bill $150 but
Karen is quick to add it’s not about the money. “If I can put a smile on
someone’s face for Christmas or someone tells me it puts them in the
Christmas spirit, that’s why I do it,” Karen said. Those are the thoughts
Karen has when she’s out digging decorations out of snowbanks or
checking the flags each elf holds. Somebody has to do it.
The Thoenes will never be computerized and Santa and his
reindeers with a sleigh will not be going on the roof again. Last year’s
gale-force wind storm on Christmas night flew Santa right off the roof
to land in the yard near the house and that won’t happen again. Karen
knows there are several other pieces which were damaged and need
fixing before being plugged in.
But first, Karen has just a few Halloween decorations which her
grandkids need to help her put up – just a few she adds with a smile.
vBy Linda Wuebben, Photos courtesy of Gary Howie
HERVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017v17