Christmas collector Sue Kiesau spreads the spirit of Christmas

by Lissa Blake

To call Sue Kiesau of Waukon a Christmas enthusiast would be a serious understatement.

Stepping into her home this time of year is like visiting a holiday museum, with walls covered with hundreds of Santas and other Christmas treasures.

Kiesau’s holiday enthusiasm is contagious, and she spreads the joy each year by welcoming visitors into her home for coffee, homemade holiday treats and, of course, a tour of her 300-plus Santa collection, which she has been amassing for more than 30 years.

“I’ve always loved Christmas,” said Kiesau at her home on Northgate Drive. “I’ve always loved to decorate for holidays. Perhaps I got that from my mom.”

Sue and her husband, Ron, have always been collectors. Ron collects coins and John Wayne memorabilia, and Sue collects spaghetti poodles, antiques, children's books, cornhusk dolls and other items from the southwest. The couple has wintered in Alamogordo, NM for 17 years, so many of their  off-season collectibles come from that area of the country.

AN IDEA FORMS
Sue said it was sometime in the 1980s that she decided to pair her love of collecting with her passion for Christmas. “I love going to yard sales, so I started buying Santas and my collection just grew,” she said.

Since that time, Kiesau has purchased and been given hundreds of Santas. She remembers where each one came from, and she is happy to share their stories with visitors. She has paid anywhere from pennies at a yard sale to up to $40 for vintage decorations from the 1940s, still preserved in their original boxes.
“Some of them are so special, I just can’t believe anyone would ever get rid of them,” she said.

SPECIAL MEANING
Although she loves all of her Santas, there are a few decorations she holds as especially dear. One is the Christmas carousel she and her siblings found in the original box in her mother’s closet after her death.

“None of us ever remember my mom ever having it, so it was quite a find,” she said.

She has other favorites, like the wooden Santa her son made, with a beard made of peppermint lifesavers; the ceramic table Santa, which disassembles to become containers for cream, sugar, salt and pepper; a snoring Santa; a vintage 1940s Santa suit; her Santa band; Coca Cola Santas; Green Bay Packers Santa; University of Iowa Santa; a Santa potato masher; a bubble-blowing Santa; her singing/dancing plush collection and more.

She also commissioned a few heirloom Santas, using vintage coats that had belonged to her mother. “When I commissioned ‘Alfred,’ I brought along my mother’s fur coat and a locket from my mother-in-law. When I opened the locket, I saw there was a photo of my mother-in-law, Gladys, and father-in-law, Alfred, inside. So he became Lord Alfred. I feel like when I put him out each year, Ron and I have a bit of our parents here with us,” she said.

ALWAYS LOVED CHILDREN
Kiesau has always loved children and has been known by many around town as the story lady, often volunteering at Robey Memorial Library or at Kids Club after school. She worked at TASC for 15 years and worked for the school nurse for many years as well.

She still reads to children at the library two days a week in the summer and visits Kids Club three days a week. One of her favorite collections is her puppet collection, which has been entertaining local children for decades.

“I have a monkey named Peanut Butter, who is always getting into trouble. Once in a while, I’ll run into an older kid who will ask if I still have my puppets. They usually remember Peanut Butter. I’ll just say, ‘Thanks for remembering them.’ And then I’ll think to myself that I must have had some influence on them,” she said.

Kiesau said as her three sons and grandchildren have grown, so has her love for children. “I guess one of the things about my Christmas collection that keeps me going is that I try to find things that would appeal to children. I’m very close to our kids and I love surrounding myself with children,” she said. “I just bought two more this week. If I see one that just calls out to me, I just have to have it.”

Her most recent acquisition is a stuffed Keebler elf she bought for $1 at a thrift store. “I love stuffed animals because kids can pass them around,” she said.

SHARING THE SEASON AND ITS TRUE REASON
Kiesau said each year she invites friends and family and anyone who might enjoy experiencing her collection to contact her to schedule a visit. “I love to share it with people and I welcome anyone who wants to come see,” she said.

At age 75, she says her enthusiasm for life is what keeps her young. “Life is so good. I’m never going to get old,” she said.

And although the majority of Kiesau’s collection is Santa-themed, she also has a statue of Santa with Baby Jesus and a number of nativity scenes prominently displayed. “I love Santa, but I never forget the real reason for the season,” she said.