In tribute to late wife, husband rebuilds her snowman village

WHEN Kathy Allen Duncan passed away at 73 in September from complications of diabetes, her husband faced the heartbreaking reality that her 50-year tradition of creating elaborate snowman displays might end.

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Instead, he decided to share her joy with an entire community.

For five decades, Kathy had meticulously arranged nearly 1 000 snowman figurines into festive holiday displays that delighted family and friends. After looking through photos of her past creations before her funeral, her husband RE “Tuck” Duncan, 74, had an inspiration: “We need to build one more, one last one.” But this time, he wanted to share it not just with family, but with all of Topeka, Kansas.

That vision led Tuck to rent a vacant store in Topeka’s West Ridge Mall, where he and family members recreated Kathy’s magical “snowpeople village” for the public to enjoy. The free exhibition has since attracted thousands of visitors and gained over a million views on social media.

“Mom was a safe space for so many people, and what is created there is a safe space to share,” said Joro Martin, who was raised by the couple after leaving a troubled household.