Holiday home tour set
Staff writer
Four Marion residents are opening their homes for a Christmas tour sponsored by Marion City Library. Homes will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 2.
Several were holding off until after the Thanksgiving holiday to decorate their homes.
68 Lakeshore Dr., Marion County Lake
Ed and Jean Hett will feature their historic
limestone house and new addition at 68
Lakeshore Drive, Marion County Lake. Visitors
will enter the north door and be free to
roam through the whole house.
A big part of the Hetts’ Christmas will center on the large family room in the new basement. An old family Christmas tree will sit in the middle of the room, and cots will be set up around it for their grandchildren. Jean plans to bring out a collection of heirloom quilts to use for bedding.
A long table in the new dining room will be set with an olive green tablecloth, heirloom dishes and goblets, and a handcrafted centerpiece.
A shelf above cabinets already is lined with a mixture of lighted metallic trees, candles, and deer. A lighted Christmas tree sits in a window.
Ed plans to cover an outside patio table with burlap and place a candle on it.
“We’ve only lived here two years,” he said, “so our holiday decorations are still evolving.”
515 S. Lincoln St.
David and Jami Mayfield’s home at 515 S. Lincoln will have a decorated main floor and basement. The basement stairway has double bars for safe access.
Décor will include many nativity scenes, several wreaths, and a Byers collection of Christmas carolers.
132 N. Roosevelt St.
Arlie and Gina Overton will be spending their second Christmas in their two-story 1910 house at 132 N. Roosevelt St.
They bought the house in 2015, and Arlie spent three years remodeling it.
Gina decorates with traditional country themes. Two large and several smaller trees, all live, will be decorated with ornaments of red, gold, and clear glass. Natural wood will be highlighted with greenery.
“I’m keeping it pretty simple,” Gina said. “It doesn’t need a lot to show off the beauty of the house.”
811 S Roosevelt St.
Kelly and Susan Robson have a ranch-style house with a basement.
Susan likes to decorate with rustic items like string art and rag trees. She will display different trees including a bottlebrush tree on a mantel and several other unique Christmas trees.
Nativities, greenery, and Christmas pennants will be additional décor.
Tour tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the library or at home stops. Refreshments will be served at the library.