Iowa senior center resident inspires sparkling Christmas lights display
MARION, Iowa -- An 82-year-old man has brightened up an Iowa senior center with his love for holiday lights.
Russell Schmidt lives at the Summit Pointe Senior Living center in Marion, and last year, his daughter -- Rusty Holub -- put lights in his window. However, Schmidt tells KCRG one window just wasn't enough. He wanted to see every window lit up in the senior center.
Despite his health problems that made Schmidt question whether he would live to see the project come to life, he's seeing the building's windows - all 363 of them - lit up this Christmas.
"When they turned the lights on, it was a dream come true. I loved it," Schmidt told KCRG.
The senior center is now giving bus trips around the building to show the sparkling windows.
"I like them, I love them. To me it's been a lot of work for a lot of people and I want to appreciate it," Schmidt said.
