MADISON, Tenn. — If you're in the Madison area, there’s a homemade Christmas display you'll want to see. It's modeled after the nativity scene at the Parthenon years ago.
I spoke with the homeowner who told me piecing it together on his front yard this year is even more special.
“Hand cut, hand painted everything,” said Jerry Wieck.
3/4 inch, marine-grade plywood, painted white to glow in the spotlight as headlights speed past on North Graycroft Avenue.
“I’ve started building it, and I slowly added to it every year,” said Jerry. “I’ve had people going by setting up, honk their horns.”
This is the carpenter behind it. His friends and family call him a hands-on kind of guy. For the past 5 years, Jerry Wieck's been building and adding to his nativity scene.
He modeled it after the nativity scene he saw as a child at Centennial Park.
“I was probably eight years old and that was always in my mind. I always wanted to do that,” said Wieck. “It’s been a lot of labor.”
But about a year ago Jerry remembers trying to get home from the December 2023 tornadoes and found the storm threw those white plywood nativity pieces for miles around.
“The main nativity I set it back up. We had all this damage and it was like OK we’re still here,” said Jerry.
The trees are now back up with reinforcements and this year Jerry added angels above the manger.
“That’s the reason for the season,” he said. “I don’t look for any money. I don’t have a tip jar out here or anything. It’s for everyone to enjoy.”
Proving even after a devastating storm, gratitude, graciousness, and giving back will shine even brighter.
“That’s part of why I wanted to get the nativity scene back up to show everyone, especially in the Madison neighborhood. We’re back,” said Jerry.
Jerry said it took about 7 months to rebuild all the pieces destroyed in the storm so he could have it ready for this year.
If you have more information about this story, please email me at Amanda.Roberts@newschannel5.com.
