Christmas Village growing, glowing at Schultzes

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GREENVILLE —Tony Schultz, an employee of Lowe’s in Greenville, has a huge Christmas Village going on in his home in the rural Greenville area.

“Lowe’s sold these houses and it went from there,” Schultz said. “I had them on a round table and it just went crazy.”

Today, he has 60 houses, 200 figurines and 300 trees exhibited on a 24×5-foot table.

A lot of his Christmas Village is animated, including the Polar Express train he has.

“That put the icing on the cake,” said Schultz of his train set. “I started a little village in 2003 or 2004 for her [wife Becky].”

“He had a house and it looked so cute,” she said. “I am so touched he did it for me.”

He and Becky have bought most of theirs through Carole Towne Christmas.

Her favorite pieces, she said, are the toy store and the movie theater.

“I like them all,” said Tony.

“His favorites are the Spencer’s and Flory’s Landscaping ones, because he is related to them,” Becky added.

Tony said he used a label maker to put those family names on two of the village businesses he has in the collection.

“I went redneck,” he said.

According to him, it took him three days to put the whole Christmas Village up this year.

“It goes down quicker than it goes up,” he said. “The street lights are the worst.”

“We used to take a vacation to get it done,” Becky said.

It’s displayed in the room where the family opens their Christmas gifts. Nearby is the decorated tree.

The first house they ever bought in the collection sits up on a ledge surrounded by other houses in the collection. The house they began with is highlighted by a miniature bride and groom in the front yard.

The Schultzes, who have been married for 10 years, have surrounded that first house they bought with other family members’ houses they have named.

Tony said he does all of the handiwork on the collection while Becky “does the technical stuff.”

“We have a hunting camp,” Tony said. “I made mountains out of insulation foam and sprayed it. I also made the waterfall and pond with a glue stick.”

There is also an ice skating rink in the village and a lot of street lights.

The skirt on the table was lifted up to show all of the cords that are plugged in for the mobile and lighted units.

“I have four smoke detectors underneath there,” he said.

He also noted that their electric bill is “not bad.”

Schultz said Lowe’s no longer sells the Christmas Villages.

“Every one of these houses came from Lowe’s, except for one,” he said.

“And, that one came from his mother,” Becky said.

“You can only get them online now,” he said.

Schultz said he buys a lot of the little items for his village at Walmart.

In addition to the Christmas tree being decorated and some indoor decorations up, they have yet to put up three blow-up figures on the outside.

Schultz’s talents don’t just stop inside the house. He has created a tiki bar for their adult friends and built a playground area for the grandchildren, plus some other items at their home for guests to enjoy while there.

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By Linda Moody

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Linda Moody may be reached at 937-569-4315. Follow her on Facebook and join the conversation and get updates on Facebook by searching Darke County Sports or Advocate 360. For more features online go to dailyadvocate.com.

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