HERRIN, IL (WSIL) —�At one time, people driving along Highway 148 between Energy and Herrin would anticipate the time when the local spectacle known as the Blue Christmas Tree would make its return each year.
“It's quite the icon for not just Herrin but the region,� said Herrin Mayor Steve Frattini. “It’s very inspiring and symbolic of the season.
“People coming from far away to see it through the many, many years it's been here."
It's a concept made possible by Joe Jack and his wife many years ago.
“He's an impressive guy,� said Quinn Laird, Community Bank president, Farmers State Bank. “He's been climbing this tree and has been into his 80s. I wouldn't want to climb it now.�
But back in 2016, seven years after his wife's death, age finally caught up with Jack, so the then 86-year-old decided it was time to retire.
But a community effort inspired him to climb back up the tree one more time to place the lights. But for several years the tree has been dark at night during the Christmas season.
“The absence of it is beyond what we want to think about,� said Frattini.
Thanks to a joint effort between Farmers State Bank and Chad Skaggs of Skaggs Christmas lighting, the Blue Tree is once again shining bright and amazing to everyone who comes along to see it.
"Bringing it back to full life and color is something we're all excited about,� said the Herrin Mayor.
Fratini says he has many memories even in his younger days of the blue tree.
“I can remember as a child many years back when we would come to visit family in Herrin, the tree being there, and just how exciting it was to see it and how neat it was,� said Frattini. It was so massive. It was just� it added to the season of the Christmas spirit beyond belief.�
According to Laird, Farmers are always looking for ways to give back to the community, and partnering with Skaggs was something they are excited to do.
“This was something that came up that we knew everyone in Herrin would appreciate,� Laird says. “It's an iconic tree that most citizens in Herrin recognize.�
Laird remembers the tree from his childhood and wanted to do what he could to help bring the tree back for others to enjoy.
“We're just happy to be a part of it, and happy that we can maybe bring a little holiday joy,� said Laird.
And for Mayor Frattini, he says the tree is a constant reminder of what the holiday season is all about.
“It should all be focused on the reason for the season, as the statement goes, and as a reminder of the beauty of the season and all those things associated with the holiday of Christmas,� Fratini said.
