Some neighbors have called it a beacon of hope. Others see it as a symbol of normalcy in a community otherwise still recovering from a terrible disaster. To many, it is a reminder that despite the flood, and despite the massive loss of property and possessions, Christmas has still arrived and it will still be celebrated.
Cindy asked me what I thought about putting it up, said Pete Dykstra, who for more than 30 years has operated the Dykstra Dairy Farm on Curtis Hill Road in Curtis. I thought, Santa Claus isnt going to be stopped by a little water and were not going to be stopped by a flood. I was dead set on it.
And so, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and a collection of ceramic farm animals were placed on the front deck of the house that only days earlier was inundated by more than eight feet of water.
Pete and Cindy Dykstra assembled the iconic scene with the help of friends and family even as their 120-acre farm laid in complete disarray. The Dykstras lost all of their more than 100 dairy cows in the flood, along with two vehicles, most of their important paperwork, a piano and their furniture.
The couple had very little time to salvage belongings when the floodwaters hit. Having seen the 1990 and 1996 floods through without water entering their home, they said they assumed this flood would be the same. But as water rose at a rate of four feet an hour, Pete and Cindy Dykstra soon found themselves being rescued from the second floor of their house by a passing boat.
I didnt look around because I didnt want to see what was out there, Cindy Dykstra said. It didnt feel like it was real. I couldnt believe what was happening.
But after the waters receded and they were able to return to their home, assembling the nativity scene quickly became a priority.
We felt like it was necessary, said Cindy Dykstra. It was upstairs in the attic… No one figured we would put it up. I looked at my husband and said I feel like we should put it up. The kids agreed that they thought it was necessary, and we went ahead with it.
Permission to Celebrate Christmas
Since then, the simple nativity scene has been enough to push many in the Boistfort Valley community to tears.
Weve lived here all our lives and I can remember seeing it when I was little, said Denise Latimer, a Curtis resident. I did not expect to see it when we drove by. I just bawled. I was absolutely speechless. It is an absolute disaster and to think that they went through all this and then took some time to bring it all together, I was just beside myself. It almost gave everyone else permission to celebrate Christmas.
The scene inspired Latimer to write a short homage to the importance of the Dykstra nativity scene in the Boistfort community. Boistfort School Superintendent Rich Apperson then read the story in front of nearly 300 students, teachers and community members at a school assembly.
It was a very heartfelt thing and there were a lot of wet eyes in the audience, Apperson said. I think thats what the whole thing that inspired Denise to write the piece was that at last there was a sign that something was returning to normal.
Pete and Cindys granddaughter, Debrah Branch, 20, can remember helping paint the nativity scene over the years. After it was assembled this year, the years. After it was assembled this year, she and her family were greeted by an old friend at the Baw Faw Grange whom she remembers saying It must be Christmas, the Dykstras have the nativity scene out.
It was then that she found out just how much her grandparents nativity scene meant to the community, she said.
People have driven by, then they just turned around and stopped in front of the house, Branch said. Sometimes they cry… And that makes me cry.
Community Landmark
The Dykstras arent the only Boistfort Valley residents who have continued Yuletide traditions despite the widespread flooding, but many factors have come together to make their decorations an emotional spectacle to behold.
Pete Dykstra said that they have erected the scene every Christmas for close to 30 years. Its location on the main artery road leading into the Boistfort Valley makes it visible to most of the areas residents. In short, it has become a community landmark.
Sue Gildersleeve has lived in the Boistfort Valley for almost 14 years - long enough to gain an understanding for the importance of the nativity scene.
It has always been a symbol of Christmas here, she said. And now it took on a new meaning… God is good and life just keeps going on.
Looking to the Future
Life will go on for the Dykstras, but first they will have to pick up the pieces of a dairy farm operation that has been all but destroyed. Cindy Dykstra said that aside from the obvious pains brought on by the loss of the herd, they will also have to repair and replace the barn where the cows were held and the milking stalls.
However, like many other Boistfort Valley residents, the Dykstras will likely receive a lot of help. Already, Pete Dykstra said, church groups and complete strangers have stopped at his farm to offer a helping hand. They, in addition to the more than 35 friends and family members who have frequented the property in recent weeks, have helped accelerate the rebuilding process.
The Dykstras have already stripped the lower floor of their two-story home down to the boards and dehumidifiers have sucked a lot of the moisture from the mud-soaked walls. Next will come new drywall, carpet and eventually a restored sense of normalcy.
Donations of Cows
But it will be at least six months before Pete Dykstra will be able to resume his milking operation. Still, help is coming in that regard as well. The International Dairy Federation, of which he is a member, has already sprung into action with offers of free cows pouring in from California to Canada and throughout Montana.
Sandy Tibeau graduated with Pete Dykstra from Auburn High School in 1961. She is one of about a half-dozen members of that graduating class to travel to the Dykstra farm to assist with rebuilding.
Tibeau explained that the loss of the cows was probably the hardest thing for Pete Dykstra to face.
For him, those cows were a lifes work, she said. He bred the same bloodline as the cows his father and grandfather bred before him.
In a serendipitous twist, Pete Dykstra said he will still have two of the cows from the same lineage of his familys herd. Thats because in the late 1970s, a fellow member of the IDF lost his entire herd in a flood. In the spirit of helping a fellow farmer, Pete Dykstra sent over some of his own herd to help out.
Now, with the Dykstras falling on hard times, that farmer is sending back two of the cows that descended from his fathers herd.
I lost bloodlines that go back to original herds, he said. Its nice to think a couple of them are coming back.
Keep This Farm Alive
Pete and Cindy Dykstra dont know when they will be able to move back into their home. They arent positive of when they will be able to resume milking cows. They have no idea how much, if any, federal funding they will receive or if it will be enough to cover all of the damage. Since they didnt have flood insurance, they know not to expect much.
But Pete Dykstra is absolutely certain when he says he and his wife will remain in the Boistfort Valley. In no less than six months, he said he hopes to continue his lifes work as a dairy farmer.
The thought of leaving the farm reminded Dykstra of something that happened the day he returned to see his farm in shambles.
I found this old sign from [a past ballot initiative] sitting in the mud on our property, he said. The sign says Keep this farm alive. I took that sign and stuck in the front yard next to the wishing well, and its still there.
Eric Schwartz covers municipal government and health for The Chronicle. He may be reached at 807-8245.
