Storied nativities

Baby Jesus in a manger.

Mary and Joseph at his side.

Wise men, shepherds and animals surrounding.

An angel overhead.

The nativity scene is a staple of the Christmas season.

Hundreds of them in all sizes and varieties will be on display this weekend — 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday — at the Nativity Festival at Trinity United Methodist Church.

Deb Williamson, who organizes the festival, typically says more than 700 nativities will be on display. Last year, the official count reached 835.

The display is created from a group of 14 exhibitors, including Deb and her husband Brian, Jim Waechter, Becci Green, Margaret McBride, Pat Jellison, Sondra Dickson, Rhonda Goss and others. Even Brian’s brother Mark, who now lives in Texas, has his collection included.

When confronted with the fact that more than 800 nativities seems like a lot for such a small group, Deb admits she and Brian are well over the average.

“OK, so some people have a few more than others,” she said, adding that she and Brian have more than 700 by themselves.

“I am getting much pickier about what I buy,” said Brian. “I don’t buy much that’s contemporary … I buy unusual ones.”

Perhaps not too picky, though. While setting up the display Wednesday evening, the Williamsons and Waechter each reported that they had added a nativity scene to their collection earlier in the day. (Deb later admitted she had picked up more than one.)

Deb started her collection shortly after receiving a Fontanini nativity from her mother-in-law Betty. That set, which is one of the hundreds on display this weekend, has grown as figures have been added year-by-year, and Deb’s collection has done the same.

As for the festival, it was originally handled, on a much smaller scale, by the wife of a Trinity pastor.

About a year after that couple moved on to another church, Deb started setting up her display.

Then she asked Jim to include his family’s nativity.

“Then that started them collecting and buying,” said Deb, noting that other members of the church began to participate in the festival that has been ongoing for more than 20 years. “It’s just snowballed.”

The collecting is a natural fit for her and Brian, as well as Jim, who all have a deep interest in military history and are heavily involved in Portland’s Museum of the Soldier.

“When you’re looking for military stuff, you see all this other stuff too,” said Deb, noting that it’s both the religious aspect and finding unique sets that draw her to collecting. “It just speaks to you.”

“It’s kind of a treasure hunt,” added Brian.

Among the nativity sets on display is one of Brian’s own creation.

While deployed to Afghanistan, he thought it would be a good idea to create a “trench art” nativity for his wife.

(He ended up making two more for his sisters-in-law.)

The frame for the scene comes from a meal ready to eat (MRE) box. Baby Jesus is a bottle of lotion. A sheep is made from a lip balm container with the soft side of velcro wrapped around it.

The adult figures are made of water bottles wrapped in cloth. And the ornament on one of the king’s crowns is the base of a .223-caliber round that was fired when his forward operating base was attacked.

His piece from Afghanistan is just part of the international aspect of the display.

Deb has a long list of countries — Peru, Vietnam, Mexico, Uganda, Cambodia, Thailand, Ecuador, India, Ireland, St. Martin, Aruba, the Philippines and Israel — from which the nativities on display originate.

She also bought a handmade nativity from an artist in Hawaii.

There are also all different varieties — one made of wax, another on a sock and yet another featuring Peanuts characters. There are also gift cards, books, Advent calendars and magnets featuring nativity scenes.

“It’s the interesting interpretations of different countries or individual craftsman or company lines are even kind of interesting,” said Brian, mentioning the Shiny Brite company.

“And then people do their own personal touches with them too,” he added, pointing out one that is framed in a modified Pringles can.

Out of the vast array, Deb’s favorite remains the one that has been in Jim’s family for at least 175 years.

The set came over with Jim’s great-great-grandfather John B. Langferman, when he came to the United States from near Oldenburg, Germany in the mid 1840s.

The family settled in Franklin County and the nativity set was used at St. Mary’s of the Rock until the church was able to afford its own set.

It’s made of cast plaster figures, reinforced with wire, that are hand-painted.

“It’s special,” said Jim. “It’s been glued numerous times. It’s gone through a number of generations of kids.

“But it’s an incredible, just an incredible piece.”

Jim remembers seeing the nativity set at his grandparents’ house when he was a child.

It then moved to his parents and then on to him.

“I love his story,” said Deb. “It’s beat up. It’s well-loved. But it’s still in that same family.

“They all have stories.”