Knapp resident Jeff Marshall’s lights brighten up the village park
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A PASSION FOR DECORATING — For the past two decades, Jeff Marshall of Knapp has been lighting up the Village of Knapp’s Memorial Park for the Christmas season. Marshall is shown by the park sign which wishes passersby a “Happy Holidays”. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
By Missy Klatt
Have you ever wondered who puts up all those great Christmas decorations and lights as you drive through Knapp? Most probably don’t give it a thought and assume that the village or the village workers do it. However, that isn’t the case. The drive behind all the displays around the pond is due to one man, Jeff Marshall.
Jeff is the one to thank for the past twenty years of Christmas decorations along route 12 in Knapp.
Jeff and his family first moved to Knapp in 1995 but it wasn’t until his daughter was born that he thought about doing a light display. “You know little girls like Christmas, maybe we should get into decorating the park. We also just had 9-11 so maybe we could brighten things up a bit for people. We had that big area that’s always so beautiful in the summer he thought we could brighten and cheer it up in the winter.” He remarks it’s just kind of blossomed or exploded in to what it is today.
Jeff also has two older boys. He said that they are all graduated from school now and his daughter is the only left living at home.
The first year the village gave Jeff their permission to decorate he was also on the board that year so he said that it made it a little easier. “I got some funds from the Lion’s club, the snowmobile club and some other donations, I bought the lights that go on the shelters and a couple of animated deer and the sign that says Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings.” Those original items are all worn out and long gone.
Every year he gets donations from the snowmobile club, the Knapp community club and the village gives him a little bit too. Most of what he has, has been repurposed or redone. “People get rid of stuff or donate it and I go and make something different out of it. Sweat equity goes a long ways.”
Jeff Works at the glass factory in Menomonie and they had a couple of decorations that used to hang on the batch house (big silo) down there that they were going to throw away so he said “you know I know a guy…I brought it back, painted it up and put some lights on it. It’s a big tall one (Christmas tree), about twenty feet that most people like.”
Jeff usually starts putting up the decorations about a week before deer hunting season depending on the weather, his work schedule and who is helping him. He’s had various people help him over the years and more recently Randy Nichols Jr. helps out a lot. Jeff says he doesn’t do much deer hunting lately so he putts with it when the weather is warm. He likes to have them on right at Thanksgiving.
A couple of years ago the Village of Knapp started doing a tree lighting. “We put up another tree and decorate it all up so people can put their own decorations on and then we have a drawing for one of the younger folks to push the button to turn it all on” (he has digital timers on everything) but of course this year with covid, that didn’t happen along with the other festivities that Knapp usually does like sleigh and wagon rides. Jeff noted that they did a little Charlie Brown tree this year instead.
The tree that they decorate is another item that is usually donated by someone.
Jeff said that they usually have the lights turned on at Thanksgiving but if he has something new that he’s working on it may not get lit up at the same time. Or sometime there is something that needs fixing that may get up a bit late.
As for storing all the decorations Jeff remarked that the village has a building with a lean to that he stores things in. “I have an area that I’ve overtaken.” Used to be that he could put it all in rafters down at the park but now he is way beyond that.
EXPRESS MAIL TO SANTA — Jeff Marshall, who has been decorating the Village of Knapp’s Memorial Park with decorations and lights the past 20 years, stands behind one the latest additions to the park’s displays – a first-class air express mailbox for letters to Santa.
—photo by Shawn DeWitt
Over the years different people have donated items and he says we try to figure out something to do with it and make it nice.
When asked where he plugs everything in his response was “where ever I can”. There are four different buildings down at the pond along with the light pole that all have electricity. He said there are a lot of extension cords out there that people have donated as well over the years.
Obviously the people of the village and the surrounding area appreciate Jeff’s efforts because they keep donating things to him. He also remarked that there are a lot of thank yous and cookies involved. As for his donors he says it’s pretty much a community thing. Vets Plus helped out over the years as well as Mattson’s. Really he said you’d never be able to list everyone that has helped in some way.
He usually leaves the decorations up till the weekend or so after New Year’s. About ten days after New Year’s at the most. He said he likes to keep them on that long because so many people are still having Christmas celebrations after New Year’s.
When it comes time to take everything down he said he really appreciates those 30-40 degree days in January. He noted that he’s learned where to lay cords over the years so they don’t get frozen down. He stated there have only been one or two years that he had to wait until spring to get a few of the decorations off and put away.
If you haven’t had the chance, take a drive down Route 12 and check out the displays. Of course the best time is at night when everything is lit up.