Christmas with the Fishers
Deb Abraham Spalding
Do you know what time it is? It’s Christmas time at the Fishers’ house in Lewistown! Ginger and Charles Fisher have been collecting unique Christmas items over the past forty-two years. Judging from their immense collection, they look forward to Christmas time.
The Fishers didn’t set out to collect Christmas items, but they both had the interest and it slowly caught on.
Today, you will find hundreds of festive mechanical accoutrements that fill their home with song, sparkle, movement, and Christmas color. Santa’s Marching Band taps out seventeen holiday tunes; singing Santas croon holiday favorites, story-telling Santas tell tales of Christmases long-long ago (Santas range in size from life-size to very small); snow globes line up in unique sizes and scenes; flying Santas really do fly; lights flash to a tune; Christmas trees spin and dance; elves talk when you walk by; and a penguin sings “Jingle Bells” when you clap.
The Fishers have family over each year and invite guests for cookie exchanges and open houses. During Christmas and Easter, they make candy—lots and lots of candy!
There may seem to be no rhyme or reason to the Fisher’s collection until you realize that there are collections within the collections. In the penguin-filled room, you’ll find penguins that read stories to their young, and others that sing and dance their way across the floor.
In the snowman room, you know you’ll find a whole bunch of…snowmen! The Coca-Cola collection and nativity area can’t help but catch your eye. They also have extensive outdoor decorations, including a nativity set, nine reindeer, several blow ups, and more. Keep in mind that health and healing have limited their display.
The Fishers moved to Lewistown in 1975. Charles is a career oil man, who retired after thirty-eight years with Ewing. Ginger spent her thirty-seven-year career with the federal government in budget and accounting at Fort Ritchie until it closed in 1998; she then worked at Fort Detrick for the last ten years of her career.
Charles identified his most favorite—of his many favorites—in the Christmas collection: a ceramic Dickens Christmas Village that Ginger made from greenware and then painted.
Ginger’s favorite is the nativity scene that is prominently displayed.
Note: Ginger has donated 35 gallons of blood. She began in 1972. She was also the first Frederick County Fire Prevention Queen in 1977, representing Lewistown.
Charles and Ginger Fisher, shown with Charles’ favorite piece in the Christmas collection: a ceramic Christmas Village that Ginger made.
Just a small part of Ginger and Charles Fisher’s unique Christmas collection, collected over the past forty-two years.