A Festive Farewell: Hagerman Brothers announce final year of Beal Road light display

MADISON TOWNSHIP — Dick and Jim Hagerman have turned on the lights for the last time.

After six decades, the brothers are retiring their homemade Christmas display on the corner of Beal and Fleming Falls Roads.

Since 1960, the Hagermans have brought holiday magic to the community and asked for nothing in return. Dick said he always thought he’d call it quits when his electric bill got too high. But age caught up with him first.

Dick is 87 and Jim is 77. Even with their family’s help, arthritis and cold weather make it hard to keep up the winter wonderland.

The family is selling Dick’s items as a lot through a silent auction on Facebook. Jim said his items will be split up among family members.

“It’s mixed emotions,” Jim said. “It’s sad because so many people like it. It’s been our gift to the community for 63 years.”

The making of a winter wonderland

Dick started the tradition after building his home on Beal Road.

With Jim’s help, he continued adding new items to his front yard each year. When Jim built his own home next door in 1975, the display grew to encompass both their front yards.

The brothers built nearly every item in their collection by hand — Dick is an electrician and Jim is a carpenter.

“We started with just a plywood cutout up on the chimney of Santa Claus climbing down the chimney,” Dick said said. “It’s just been growing ever since.”

“Usually there’s something new built every year. This year I didn’t get anything built.”

Dick made most of his structures with half-inch electrical conduit he cut, bent and welded together. Some are painted; most are wrapped in electrical tape and miniature lights.

By their own estimate, between 30,000 and 40,000 miniature light bulbs now illuminate the corner each night.

“When they first started doing the displays, they used parts that were discarded at work or scraps from their garages and basements,” said Missy Hagerman, Jim’s daughter-in-law.

Dick’s house is themed as Santa’s workshop. Elves, candy canes, snowmen, and even a nativity scene dot the yard. But the family favorite is the Santa Claus Express, a red train that’s more than 40 years old.

Dick built it in honor of Candace, his newest grandchild at the time.

Jim’s yard is the island of misfit toys. He built new items over the years at the request of his grandkids. The collection includes characters from Pokemon, Disney films and Minecraft.

In the early years, motors and gears kept certain elements running.

“The first motor used was for the helicopter and they had to keep an eye on it to make sure it did not burst into flames,” Missy said.

Now, it’s all electric. Jim estimated his utility bill increases by about $300 during the month of December, but he’s never asked for donations.

“Thanksgiving night, I’ll start around and I’ve got probably 20 places that I’ve got to plug cords in, set a time clock in the basement and when that time clock turns on, the entire thing lights up at once, including Jim’s,” Dick said.

These days, the most challenging aspect is the set up.

“My hands go numb when they get cold,” Jim said. “In parts of my yard, you have to use a masonry hammer drill to drill a hole because of the rocks and stones. You can’t drive a stake in.”

A community tradition

While the light display started as a treat for their family, it quickly become a beloved holiday tradition for friends, neighbors and total strangers.

“Way back in the 60s, I think, the City of Mansfield had lighting contests and we won first prize a couple of years,” Dick recalled.

“There’s been traffic for years. I sat here one night and in an hour, I counted 1,000 cars.”

After the family announced the news of their retirement on Facebook, hundreds of comments poured in, thanking them for their hard work and generosity.

The Hagermans say they’re grateful for the community support and kind words.

“I didn’t realize the magnitude until I started the Facebook page in 2017,” Missy said.

“The comments that people have written like, ‘My parents brought me when I was a kid, I brought my kids and now my kids are bringing their grandchildren.’ So it’s gone through three generations.”

Stephanie Rueckert of Mansfield has been driving by the Hagerman homestead for 13 years with her six kids. They now range from 19 to 24 years old, but the magic hasn’t faded.

“We look forward to it every year,” she said.

“We still all pile in our cars to go see it. It’s such incredible, heart-felt work, especially knowing that (the Hagermans) had done this just out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s what Christmas is all about.”

Richard Thoman asked his wife of 10 years to marry him in the Hagerman’s front yard.

“He’d always talked about this display on Beal Road. I’d never heard of it, never been there,” she said. “We drove by it first so I could take it all in and then he told me to turn around.”

The couple pulled over in front of the lights. Richard rolled down the window a bit so they could hear the Christmas music. Then he popped the question.

Every Christmas Eve, Richard and Leigh load their four children into the car and drive a half hour to the Hagermans’ show.

“It still just amazes me how much time and detail — it doesn’t matter how many times you look at it you always find something new every time,” Leigh said.

Leigh said she felt “devastated” when she heard the display won’t return next year, but she’s grateful to the Hagermans for all the memories.

“Thank you for doing it and putting the time in,” she said. “I know it takes a lot of time and effort to make that display happen.”