A holiday tradition in Lyons has been around for nearly a century. Those in the community take great pride in the tradition. “When I come home for the holidays, when I see that bell and star, that bell and star is home,” Teresa Schafer from Lyons said. “It means that I’m home for the holidays, and I know that that is a lot of people. You know you see the bell and star on the bell and star means home. And that’s not only me that is so many people.” In 1936, Oscar Laudick, Schafer’s great-grandpa, created the star to go on top of the courthouse. He was a custodian there. Then, in 1938, the bell was created after lights were hung from the star to the corner of the courthouse, looking like a bell. In 1951, a radio antenna was added to the courthouse, so the bell and star were moved to its current location, the Lyons water tower. Laudick rebuilt the star going from four feet to 10 feet. Each year, the bell and star is paid for by donations. Many will donate in memory of someone when they pass away. Laudick’s daughter JoAnne Arie always made sure there was money for the project, but she died in 2023. So, Schafer took it upon herself to set up a GoFundMe. They raised the $5,000 they needed in two weeks. The bell and star has gone up in price every year, but Schafer says the tradition will never stop. “There is not a single person that does not love that bell and star,” Schafer said. “There is not a single person that would not do what it took to keep that beloved star going.” The star looks like a star from any angle. The white bulbs are painted black, with a small spot of light showing on each side.
Source: KSN-TV
