All of our Christmas trees have stories.  Some of them are simple, some are about winter in Perry County, German traditions, and Santa has an incredible area this year.  A tree that has been with us since the beginning 12 years ago is the Immigration Tree.  It is a significant contribution to our interpretation of the regional story of 1839-with the names of all of the families in the original east Perry County settlements, as well as the names of those who perished on the ship Amalia.  

This tree has warmed my heart every time I walked by it the past 12 years.  It is one of my favorites because my pal-Bob Fiehler-helped me understand all of the names, and my sweet Mom-Carolyn Taylor helped me fold all of the nautical paper stars.  Del Schmidt carefully cut a hole in the bottom of the lighthouse.  Bob Schmidt helped figure out how to get all of the stars on the tree the first time.  Richard Schuessler put this tree up for at least two years.  And for the past few years, this tree has been redesigned and exhibited most exquisitely by Joy Peetz.  I love this tree because it tells the story in a different way, but I treasure this tree because for more than a decade, our entire team has taken time to recreate this story anew each Christmas season.

Please come and see us.  We are open tomorrow evening (Thur.) until 8 p.m., and next week, Thur. the 15th and Fri. the 16th we will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.   On Sun, the 18th, we will be hosting a reception, along with the Trinity Lutheran Women’s Missionary League after the Trinity Choir Concert that begins at 7:00 p.m.  It is an event that is sure to ignite your Christmas spirit.    Join us!  And share with us your favorite tree.     Take care, Carla Jordan