Christmas Tree in Guffey
Master Bedroom


118 N. Market St.
P.O. Box 218
Winamac, IN 46996

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Old memories and new ones to be made ...

By Karen Clem Fritz

When the time comes to deck the halls for the holidays, no one is surprised to find new energy-saving LED lights nestled in a wreath surrounding an antique Christmas angel.

Home holiday decorating often encompasses the old and treasured ornaments, along with the shiny and newly chic ... old memories and new ones to be made. Such is the stuff that makes visiting homes of friends and family over the holidays a truly special treat.

A display of Nativity collections at the Gutwein Home.

With this in mind, a Holiday Home Tour has been planned for next Saturday by a committee of the Francesville Fall Festival organization. Five homes in the Francesville area will be featured. Shuttle service will be available at the fire station for the event which runs from 3 to 7 p.m. In addition, visitors can enjoy a soup and sandwich meal at the fire station before or after they tour the homes.

The five families who are graciously opening their homes for the tour are John and Edwina Guffey, Kenneth and Jeannetta Davis, Edison and Chrisann Gutwein, Chuck and Peg Yeoman, and Doug and Kathy Wilson.

For the most part, the families are sprucing up their homes for the season as they usually do, often with decorations that have become family heirlooms and treasured collections.

Tickets with maps can be purchased for $10 in advance at any office of Alliance Bank or at Fagen Pharmacy. They can also be purchased for $12 at the fire station or at the door of any home on Dec. 8. Proceeds will benefit the Francesville Fall Festival.

Guffey Home

At the Guffey home, 5098 E CR 200 S, Rensselaer (about 2.5 miles west of the Francesville Apostolic Church), visitors will be treated to what Edwina describes as the “eclectic, modern/shabby chic” decor in their ranch home, built in 1995. John and Edwina did much of the finishing work and were their own subcontractors.

Tour participants will be delighted with the themed Christmas trees they will find in each room, including a Longaberger basket tree in the dining room and Wizard of Oz decorations in the office/laundry room. The holiday decorations also include John’s “Dept. 56” house collection. Friends Marsha Minkert and Leesa Gayer joined Edwina in the holiday decorating.

At the Davis home, 241 Park Ave., Francesville, visitors will find many of the fixtures and hallmark designs of the 1950s, such as tiled bathrooms, in this one-story home built by Robert Vollmer. The Davises have lived there for 35 years, and although they have made improvements over the years, the original footprint of the house remains the same.

Davis Home

Jeannetta adds a touch of Christmas to every room, sometimes by simply tucking a shiny ornament into existing decorations on walls, dressers or tables. The living room Christmas tree takes center stage in front of a bank of windows that line the west side of the room. The sunroom also includes a tree, flanked by the bright red Huffy bicycle purchased years ago by Kenneth at a garage sale. Jeannetta’s year-round “chicken” collection also finds its way here-and-there into the holiday decor.

Gutwein Home

At the Gutwein home, 125 Circle Dr., Francesville, visitors will experience the reminders and warmth of a home which saw six children grow up. Howard Manion built the home for the Gutweins in 1970.

A collection of angels greets visitors at the front entrance, and a collection of nativity sets can be found throughout the six-bedroom home (two bedrooms have been converted to office space). The living and dining room tables will be set for traditional Christmas dinner.

Yeoman Home

At the Yeoman home, on Ada Street, Francesville, tour guests will be guided past snow scenes at the front entrance to a safari theme in the sunroom. The bi-level home was built in 1979, and the Yeomans have lived there for 28 years, raising two sons.

Peg prefers simple holiday decorating touches. Her displays includes a Santa collection, contributed to by a dear friend, and a blue velvet dress from her childhood, worn at a church Christmas program.

Wilson Home

At the Wilson home, 10561 W CR 600 S, Frances-ville, visitors will be charmed by the classic Georgian-style home completed in 2004 by general contractor Chris Huber. The new home is situated on 14 wooded acres.

The home is decorated with some colonial touches, along with its largely traditional furnishings. The floor plan includes dramatic formal areas, as well as cozy nooks. The full basement provides abundant space for recreation, hobbies and crafts, and relaxation.
The Wilsons have a tradition of decorating their Christmas tree with handmade, painted ornaments that have been in the family for 40 years.

Chrisann Gutwein holds one of her many nativity sets at the living/dining room table set for the traditional Christmas feast.

Friends Marsha Minkert, Edwina Guffey and Leesa Gayer (shown here in the master bedroom) had a blast decorating the Guffey home.

Doug and Kathy Wilson, with