Come all ye faithful: Modesto woman displays 950 nativity sets, including gingerbread Jesus
Away in a cottage, many cribs, but just one bed; and a little baby Jesus, made of gingerbread.
Like the traditional Christmas song “Away in a Manger,” 81-year-old Toni Conway is all about the nativity. Around 950 nativities to be almost exact. And exact she is, cataloging, photographing, writing descriptions for, and displaying her collection for the community.
The collecting started in 1961 with a new marriage, to her husband, Bob, and a new direction in life. “I had just committed my life to follow Jesus, and so Christmas came alive, and all of a sudden I heard the Christmas carols. And I thought, ‘Hey, those words mean something.’ So we wanted a nativity and I ordered that first one,” she said.
The first was a set ordered from a Woolworth’s catalog. Since then, she has acquired sets from near and far, homemade and mass-produced, traditional and nontraditional, and everything in between.
Conway said she hadn’t intended to start collecting nativities but received them as gifts and bought a few herself through the years. “On our 25th wedding anniversary in 1986, my sister-in-law and her husband gave me the sterling silver Nativity ornament. She said, ‘I want you to have this because I know you collect nativity.’ And I said, ‘I do?’ So I guess it started there, with nativity number six,” Conway said.
As her collection grew, so did the thought of sharing it with the world. Her mother, Frances Skittone, talked about their beauty and suggested displaying the collection to the public. In 1996, Skittone was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and Conway decided to invite the community to enjoy the collection in her honor. Skittone was there at the very first open house, which had around 200 guests. Since that time, Conway has displayed her collection biennially, and in 2022 had more than 850 visitors over two weekends.
This year, her labor of love returns. Conway has added 30 sets since 2022 including an intricate beaded nativity set made by handicapped students in Chennai, India, and a steel cowboy nativity set gifted to her by a friend.
The real draw this year is not only a stunning behemoth but a tasty one, too. It’s a fresh-baked nativity with three towering tiers and pounds of dough and icing.
Made by her granddaughter, Arizona-based baker Jordan Stime, the creation will stand over 3 feet tall and feature intricate designs made from royal icing and crystalized sugar.
“How many have I made for you over the years?” Stime asked her grandmother about the nativities she had gifted her since childhood. “At least 4 or 5. But this will be the biggest.”
The gingerbread nativity will be the centerpiece of the collection displayed throughout Conway’s entire home, the garage, and a detached nativity room.
For those unable to attend in person, Conway has a detailed website featuring the story and details of her entire collection, complete with photos. The site was the project of her tech-savvy grandson, who also created QR codes on every displayed nativity so visitors can read about each set while taking the tour.
Can Conway pick a favorite set? “This one, the one of my family” she said, gesturing to a set in a hutch. In 1995, her family gifted her with a custom wooden set featuring each of the family members as figures in the nativity. In the years since, she has added grandchildren to the set. “It’s just so special, it was a surprise and it’s so precious to me,” she said.
Family is a central part of Conway’s life and essential to keeping her collection thriving. Her sister Pennie Rorex manages the publicity, her grandchildren help organize and catalog, and everyone in the family helps set up and take down the display.
All of this in addition to managing the family business Valley Harvest Nut Co., started by Bob and Toni Conway in 1994 and now managed by her daughter and son, Janine and Joe Runnels. Conway’s son Mark Conway and his wife, Laurie, also work for the company, as do several grandchildren.
Conway hopes to display her collection as long as she can but is unsure what will happen to it if it one day becomes too daunting to manage. “My deepest prayer is that some organization would want to take and show it, whether it be a church, a school, a library,” she said.
As for now, she has no plans on slowing down. “I believe that sharing this collection brings our community together in celebration of the true meaning of Christmas,” she said. Her energetic spirit is her Star of Bethlehem, guiding her in sharing her passion and delivering Christmas joy to the world.
Conway’s Nativity Open House is at 3242 S. Carpenter Road in Modesto. Dates and times are Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 8, from 1 to 8 p.m.; Dec. 13-14 from 10 a.m.to 8 p.m.; and Dec. 15, from 1 to 8 p.m. There is a light show on each day at 5:30 p.m.
Groups of 10 or more welcome with an appointment. Admission is free but donations for the Modesto Gospel Mission will be collected. For more information, call 209-538-2110 or visit the website at www.conwaynativities.com.
This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 6:27 PM.
