Norma's display lights up Superior's holiday season

What started with two collectable Salvation Army dolls has grown into a collection with countless dolls, thousands of lights and an impressive holiday display. Friends claim the display is the best in the county. Norma Stephens said she loves Christmas and enjoys decorating for the holiday and those dolls were a gift from her husband, Mike.

Anyone who drives by the couple’s house on Diamond Match Road in Superior can vouch for her passion. The two story home is framed with lights, giant illuminated candy canes, wreaths, twinkling icicles and dancing light figures of horses, snowmen, Santa’s sleighs, reindeer and snowmen.

“I’m just nuts about Christmas. I’ve always loved to decorate,” said Norma, 64.

Mike said his wife does all the decorating, “she has her own particular way she wants to do stuff and so I just let her do it.”

The decorating starts shortly after Halloween and continues up until Christmas, “sometimes she’s out there until 10 at night in the snow and cold,” said Mike.

Norma’s been adding to her collection over the past 35 years, with the past 14 years in Superior. The couple is originally from Butte and moved to the area from Washington.

Inside their home shelves are brought out and the entire front room is a turned into mini villages of winter wonderlands. Tiny towns with dancing figures through small lighted windows, a little candy shop, and little trees interspersed among bellows of white, cottony snow. Top shelves are lined with nutcracker dolls of all shapes and sizes including Norma’s favorite collection from “A Christmas Carol”.

Locals line the road across the street from the house and enjoy the display and visitors are always welcome inside for a tour and a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider. Norma said she’s even gotten “thank you” cards in the mail for her work.

Mike also gets into the spirit of the holidays and plays with the Eagles Nest Band. On the 22 through the 24 they play Christmas music at Castle’s Grocery Store for donations. Funds raised go to support the Lion’s Club and Women in Timber who buy food and gifts for area families in need.

The band had been playing together for 13 years and they are currently working on their third CD. The CD’s are given to people who make a contribution and all proceeds go to the charities. The couple does see a small spike in their election bill as a result of the elaborate display, around $100 to $150 a month. But Norma said it’s not too bad because she uses energy-efficient LDS lights.

The display starts to come down right after New Year’s but it depends on the weather. If the temperatures are too cold, the ornaments get frozen to the ground and have to wait for a thaw.

“Last year we didn’t get everything put away until April,” she said.