AT BETHLEHEM MANGER

Edith Lowe, the Imbler School's librarian, began collecting nativity scenes in earnest after she bought a set of figurines in 1976 and painted and antiqued them. Her collection has grown to more than 40. (Observer photos/PHIL BULLOCK).

IMBLER — Edith Lowe never has a problem deciding how she's going to decorate her home on Grays Corner Road for Christmas.

The mother of four and wife of Imbler High School football coach Lee Lowe puts up nativity scenes.

And she doesn't pull out two or three depictions of Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus for her fireplace mantles or the shelves in her home. Lowe decorates her house with more than 40 of them.

The collector said she became interested in nativity scenes in 1976 when she bought a set of figurines, painted and antiqued them.

"I decided to collect them and give a set to each child," said Lowe, library manager at the Imbler School.

Now Lowe has 10 times more nativity scenes than children, who include Isaac, 25, Benjamin, 24, Aaron, 21, and Rachel 18.

Lowe's collection includes the standard figurines showing Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus gathered at a stable in Bethlehem. Several of her scenes are painted on plates. Others are depicted on advent calendars.

One of her favorite sets has been made of clay by Imbler eighth-grader Brady Anthony.

Knowing of Lowe's interest in nativity scenes, Brady started the set in the sixth grade and has been adding a character every year. The figures now total five.

Lowe says whenever she travels, she's always looking for nativity scenes. It was Christmas in July last summer, when she picked up a set in Alaska.

She's also scouted out scenes on visits to Hawaii, always making sure she puts the date on ones that she buys.

A painted plate from the House of Faberg is one of her most valuable scenes, but typically she spends something less than $25 for each one.

Will her collection grow much beyond 40?

That's possible, she admits, but occasionally she culls scenes that no longer appeal to her.

"I got rid of a couple last year that I didn't like."

The scenes friends give to her, however, are keepers.

"I never get rid of them," she said.

Gift from her church

The roots of her fascination with nativity scenes goes back to when she was a third-grader in Ontario in the 1960s.

Every child in primary in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she and her family attended, was given a paper nativity scene. She still has that scene today.

Lowe, who has lived in the Imbler and Elgin area since 1979, said her collection is a reflection of the inspiration she gets from the true meaning of Christmas.

"We are professing our beliefs in the way we decorate our homes," she said.

Lowe said growing up in the LDS faith "it was ingrained in me to know there was a holy birth and that Jesus Christ was God's son sent to the earth for a special mission.

"The whole reason to celebrate Christmas is the birth of the savior," she said.

Part of Lowe's collection will be on display at the LDS Church open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the La Grande Stake Center, 1802 Gekeler Lane.

The event, which is open to the public, will also include Christmas music, a children's corner and refreshments.