Nov. 21, 2017 – West Bend, WI – Two years in a row and volunteers lucked out and found a pleasant late-November day to put up the old Amity Rolfs nativity.
The pieces were handmade in Germany and originally brought to the community in the late 1960s on special order by brothers Tom and Bob Rolfs.
For years the nativity was displayed on Highway 33 on the front lawn of the Amity Outlet. In 2007 the nativity was donated to the Downtown West Bend Association and on Monday morning four volunteers spent time delicately putting the pieces in place at their new home under the gazebo in Old Settler’s Park on N. Main Street.
The Downtown West Bend Association is renting the park for the Christmas season. Along with the nativity there are white, swirly Christmas trees that look straight out of a Dr. Seuss story. The park will also be the focal point for entertainment during the upcoming Winter on Main events on Friday in December.
As is tradition, the volunteers hoisted a toast of Guinness to former West Bend Alderman Tom O’Meara who spent years setting up the nativity.
A big thanks to several local businesses that helped make the nativity possible including West Bend Elevator, Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm and Stein’s Garden & Gifts. The nativity was looking fantastic and then….
… the wind whisked through overnight and upended one of the wise men, knocking off not only the crown… but his whole head. (I have photos but it’s rather a sad situation….)
After some reactionary mourning a trip was made to the Museum of Wisconsin Art and it appears the wonderful Gus Peter will be coming to the rescue. Watch for a mended wise man to rejoin his crew in the coming weeks.
I grew uo on Main Street in
West Bend and lovingly went by this wondeeful nativity scene in fromt of Amity Leather. Always special. Hopefully, all will be well.