Extreme Makeover: Jan Mahr takes Christmas decorating to the next level

by Lissa Blake

When it comes to Christmas, Jan Mahr admits she’s just a big kid at heart.
“Everything about Christmas is fun,” said Mahr during an interview at her home near Dorchester.
Mahr, nee Bankes, grew up in California and moved to the area 30 years ago when her parents bought The Four Js supper club (now Wings) in Dorchester.
“I loved Christmas as a child, and my parents always went out of their way to make Christmas special for us,” said Mahr.
Mahr and her husband, Luke, have four children: Luke, Brandon, Amanda and Nicole (Leiran).
In order to make the holidays special for her family, Mahr begins early, capitalizing on early Christmas decoration sales such as Christmas in July promotions.
She said she realizes what she thinks is special, someone else may not.
“I’ll be waiting in line and someone will say, ‘Can you believe they have Christmas stuff already?’ and I’m thinking, ‘Isn’t it great?’” she said, adding one of her favorite holiday shopping spots is The Tree House in La Crosse, WI.
Mahr said she caught the decorating bug about four years ago when her children had all left home. “The kids come over on weekends, and my granddaughter, McKenzie (age three), likes to check my progress. They all seem to love it,” she said.

BATTLE STRESS
A seven-year breast-cancer survivor, Mahr said each year she starts decorating in August in order to have plenty of stress-free time to do it. She tackles one room each weekend, putting up an average of 12 trees per year.
Mahr works as a salesperson at Bluff Country Meats in Eitzen, MN, where a busy fall processing season often means a 60-70 hour workweek in addition to the three hours of farm chores she does each day.
“Stress causes a lot of health issues. I want to enjoy the holidays without being stressed,” she said, adding she is already completely finished with her shopping and has everything wrapped.
“I think a key to being healthy is finding something in your life that makes you happy, and this is it for me,” she said.

THEME ROOMS
The holiday décor in the Mahr home is constantly changing, with certain items being retired every year in addition to new ones being put on display. Each room has its own theme, but that can change from year to year.
The home’s entryway offers a variety of Santa figurines and decorations, and the bathroom on the main floor is bursting with snowmen.
“The living room has a wildlife theme and I’ve always really enjoyed decorating with antlers,” said Mahr.
The hallway is host to an extensive collection of Boyds Bears, many of which were gifted by Mahr’s children. Upstairs, Mahr has a tree next to a photo of her parents, Ervin and Marilyn Bankes. “The tree is a homage to my parents. I lost them both,” she said.

FAMILY SUPPORTIVE
While Mahr admits, “Most people think I’m crazy,” she appreciates the wonderful support she gets from her family as they humor her seasonal hobby.
“Luke is great. Some nights when I go around and start shutting the lights off he’ll say, ‘Oh, leave them on,’” she said, adding many of her decorations are gifts her children have bought for her collection.
“My whole family loves it, it’s something I really enjoy and it makes my home more welcoming.”