Living Nativity founder honored with relatives’ participation

Cumberland Presbyterian Church hosted its 60th annual Living Nativity in Olney Sunday, Dec. 19, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the south side of the building located at 210 S. Ave. M and Cactus Lane. However, this year’s event was exceptional with the participation of the founder’s (Winnie Dunagan Evans) granddaughter, Harper Creel—a fifth-grader at Olney Elementary School.

“Harper participated as an angel in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church Living Nativity that her great-great-grandmother founded in 1962,” said Kaci McClatchy Creel, Harper’s mother. Chairman Carla Inge, who first

Chairman Carla Inge, who first participated as an angel in the Nativity when she was in the fourth grade and has been chairman since 2011, commented on Evans’ involvement years ago.

“Since Winnie Evans’ involvement with the Living Nativity, she would make the costumes with help from other volunteers. We just thought it was great to have her granddaughter participate this year. We know Miss Winnie would love it,” Inge said. “At that time, [the Nativity] was presented at the front of the church building and the angels would be on the roof. We also have had live animals in the past.”

Evans was acknowledged at the event along with her family members who also participated, including Kaci Creel and her dad, her uncle’s brother, cousins and other family members. The Nativity has been an event that draws peo-ple back home. Inge said her three sons participated as they were growing up in Olney, and they returned home to help her this year as did her husband and other adult church members.

“We also appreciate all the participants from the community that come and are involved in the Nativity. We have been blessed with many participants in the past 60 years,” Inge said. This year’s participants were as follows:

This year’s participants were as follows: Mary: Savannah Green, Lauren Dehoyos, Mallory Jeske; Joseph: Dustin Campos, Landon Inge, Ashton Burns; Manger Angels: Harper and Hadley Campos, Lilly Harrison, Caroline Jeske; Angels: Ella Richards, Aria Pannell, Kline Krupp, Avery Green, Jenna and Jolie Widnerer, Harper Creel, Grace Jeske, Libby Lane, Leigha Hampton; Shepherds: Pedro Gonzalez, Case Vincent, Isaac Johnson, Knox Krupp, Christian Widner, Sabrina and Rocket Laurent, Rhyder Cawthon, Robert Pennycuff, Skyler Rodgers, Trey and Denis Getter, Cason Aultman; Wisemen: Adrian Gonzalez, Paul Garner, Matthew Inge, Jeb Carpenter, Julius Key, Jaxxon Laurent, Caden Lane, Lucas and Kanton Rodgers

Inge said when the Living Nativity began initially, the planning committee agreed to have three nights for two hours, then they went to two nights, and currently, they have only one night with three 30-minute shifts.

And what a spectacular night it is. One that the community looks forward to every year.