Three generations of Nelsons have lived in the traditional white house with black shutters built in 1866 on a modest farming homestead in Geneseo, Illinois.
The Nelson family’s focus is squarely on the business of farming—that is, until Christmastime comes around on the calendar. “One of my happiest days of the year is when I pull all my greens out of the basement,” says Barb Nelson, who lives there with her husband, Greg.
The holiday customs and the Yuletide glow combine to create an ethereal, timeless atmosphere at the Nelson home. Since the 1920s, as the house was passed down from grandfather to father to son, it has been remodeled and redecorated numerous times. The last significant expansion was undertaken a few years ago by Barb and Greg, who raised their two now-grown
