Sievers family and Clark W. Griswold movie character share love of Christmas and lights

HARDIN - The Sievers family in Calhoun is full of adults who relish in the same thing Clark W. Griswold character or otherwise known as actor Chevy Chase did - massive amounts of Christmas lights each year.

In recent years, Jerry Sievers transferred his Christmas lights display into making it computerized.

“I have seven different songs that play,” he said. “I have four or five Transiberian Orchestra songs, a Manheim Steamroller song, ‘Silent Night’ and ‘It’s A Most Wonderful Time of the Year.’ I have a lot of extension cords and lights.
“We are out in the country near the town of Hardin,” he said. “If you go to the four-way stop where the gas station is and go west and follow the road to Rocky Hill, we are beyond the top of the hill. We have a driveway of flashing lights. I got tired of doing Christmas lights the traditional way and was going to quit, but my wife reminded me we had grandchildren getting older. I had always enjoyed going down to see the display on Paris Drive in Godfrey, so I decided to keep doing it.”

The previous Paris Drive Christmas Lights Display was Jerry Sievers’ inspiration.

“I have been called a Griswold, but my house is not covered like that in the movie,” Sievers said. “The Griswold’s Family Christmas” is not his favorite movie, but his wife of 22 years, Bonnie loves it. Jerry’s favorite classic is always Jimmy Stewart’s “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

For Jerry Sievers nothing ever compares to the Christmas season through the rest of the year.

“It’s my favorite time of the year,” he said. “I have always enjoyed Christmas lights. I am a social person and I like talking to people and taking out cookies and candy canes to people. Word is getting out and we are getting more and more repeaters. One couple came here four times since we had the lights up. One night this past week, we had more than 30 vehicles or something like that.”

Jerry’s brother, Anthony, and sister, Brenda, also have big Christmas lights displays in Calhoun County. Jerry doesn’t see any of it as competition; he is just glad the family has something all love and can share in with each other.

He said, “We each have the things we like to do with our lights. I think it is wonderful we all have Christmas lights displays.”

For now, Jerry Sievers will not let his Christmas lights display out of his hands.

“I am already thinking bigger and better for next year,” he said.

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