Heirloom Christmas display resurrected

Santa and sleigh, along with the reindeer display are running again in Hickman.

“Big” Dike Nerren built the display in 1955 and it ran several years in his yard.

When Nerren passed, the display was inherited by his son, Harold “Dike” Nerren, who continued to run the motorized display in his yard in Hickman for several years.

The last time the display was running was around 1993, because vandals would come and break the antlers off of the reindeer and break the elves.

At the request on Nerren’s daughter and son-in-law, Deena and Bob Anderson, the display is running again at the home of Anderson’s daughter and son-in-law, Kayla and Justin Mathis, in Hickman.

The elder Nerren cut new deer, painted and worked on the motor to get in to run again.

“The joy on my Papa’s face to see them up and going once again was priceless. I am overjoyed that my kids, Sadie and Sawyer, will get to enjoy a little piece of my family’s history that means so much to me,” said Kayla Mathis.

“Dike” and Albert Pierson worked on the display to where the deer would alternate moving on each size.