By Brenda Jepson
Special to the Aroostook Republican
More than 34 years ago, members of the New Sweden Baptist Youth Group, ages 13 to 18, spent weeks after potato harvest break creating a life-sized nativity scene.
Photo courtesy Brenda Jepson
A Nativity Scene, created by members of the New Sweden Baptist Youth Group nearly 35 years ago, was recently uncovered in a local hay loft and restored to its former glory. Posing with the handmade holiday decorations are, from left, Alan Jepson, Mary Lou Nelson and Elaine Jepson.
They used an overhead projector to cast the images of the nativity event onto pieces of plywood and traced the images. An older church member cut out all the wooden parts and the youth group members painstakingly painted in the details of the figures.
This nativity scene was on display until about 1985 when it was stowed away in the hayloft of the Floyd Jepson barn on Route 161 in New Sweden — the figures carefully covered in cloths. Then they were forgotten.
But 27 years later, the nativity scene was remembered and retrieved from the hayloft for display this year in front of the church.
“I thought it was wonderful to put the nativity scene back for all to see,” said Elaine Jepson, whose barn had been home to the hand-made decorations for nearly three decades. “I was surprised what good shape they were in,” she added.
Nevertheless, Elaine did use soap and water to carefully clean the hands and faces of the figures after brushing them off with a broom to make them ready for display.”
“It was quite tricky getting them down from the hayloft,” said Elaine’s son, Alan Jepson, who helped transport the larger segments to the church in the back of his pick-up truck.
Mary Lou Nelson, the youth group director at the time the nativity scene was created, also was on hand to help clean the figures and transport smaller pieces in her car.
“I think this is what Christmas is all about,” said Nelson. “”It’s so commercialized now. They start in September, for Pete’s sake! The nativity scene shows what Christmas is all about.”
“Someone put a lot of work into those years ago,” said Alan Jepson, who was in Alaska when the scene was created. “It was a shame not to see them displayed.”
Elaine Jepson agreed, “You don’t see these as much today. Some of the folks who were young people when these first went up are thrilled to see them.”
