Every room in Urbana family's home aglow with holiday cheer
Dec. 13—Close
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Ron and Diane Meister are shown Thursday with the single live tree, decorated in a wildlife theme, in their home in Urbana. The Meisters have a themed tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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A pallet tree decorated with donuts at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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The Gold Tree at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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The USA themed tree reflects multiple times off of the windows of the sunroom at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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ABOVE: The candy-cane tree in the dining room. BELOW: A pallet tree decorated with doughnuts next to the stockings over the fireplace.
* Robin Scholz photos/The News-Gazette
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A traditional tree in the master bedroom, left, and a purple, medical themed tree for their son who is a dr. At the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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The Frosty the Snowman tree lights up the washer and dryer in the laundry room at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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Ornaments on the Illini tree at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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A Redbird tree for the children that graduated from ISU at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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The Harley-Davidson tree at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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The Big tree in the entrance area at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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The grandchildren's room has two trees, one snta themed, and one baby themed that Diane changes the colors of depending on the sex of the most recent grandchild.At the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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The Gingerbread Man tree in the kitchen at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
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PHOTO GALLERY: Urbana home aglow with holiday cheer
Decades after the Meister family of Urbana began celebrating Christmas with a tree in each of their 13 rooms, it's hard to find a corner that isn't filled with holiday cheer.
Buy Now
Ron and Diane Meister are shown Thursday with the single live tree, decorated in a wildlife theme, in their home in Urbana. The Meisters have a themed tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
A pallet tree decorated with donuts at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
The Gold Tree at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
The USA themed tree reflects multiple times off of the windows of the sunroom at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
ABOVE: The candy-cane tree in the dining room. BELOW: A pallet tree decorated with doughnuts next to the stockings over the fireplace.
* Robin Scholz photos/The News-Gazette
A traditional tree in the master bedroom, left, and a purple, medical themed tree for their son who is a dr. At the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
The Frosty the Snowman tree lights up the washer and dryer in the laundry room at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
Ornaments on the Illini tree at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
A Redbird tree for the children that graduated from ISU at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
The Harley-Davidson tree at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
The Big tree in the entrance area at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
The grandchildren's room has two trees, one snta themed, and one baby themed that Diane changes the colors of depending on the sex of the most recent grandchild.At the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
The Gingerbread Man tree in the kitchen at the home of Ron and Diane Meister in Urbana on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The Meisters have a themed Christmas tree in every room in the home.
* Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
URBANA — Frosty the Snowman is front and center in one room. The Gingerbread Man resides in another.
Decades after the Meister family of Urbana began celebrating Christmas with a tree in each of their 13 rooms, it's hard to find a corner that isn't filled with holiday cheer.
"It's very meaningful to me," Diane Meister said. "All that I want to do is spread joy and make people happy."
There's a Harley-Davidson-themed tree for her husband, Ron. A medical-themed tree for son Rustin, a critical care pediatrician. Son Ryan is a Green Beret, hence the patriotic theme on another tree.
Three of the Meisters' four sons went to Illinois State, so the Redbirds are represented on another tree. An Illini-themed conifer also sits among their 16 trees.
"I have 26 themes altogether but I only have 16 trees," Diane said. "There are probably seven or eight each year that I don't put up. The gingerbread tree this year was the elf tree last year."
Diane can't quite recall when their beloved holiday tradition began. She thinks it was around 1987, when Rustin was born.
The News-Gazette noted in a 2007 story that that was the 10th consecutive year the Meisters had raised multiple trees and the fifth straight year they had more than 13. The tradition rolls on even as Rustin, Ryan, Richard and Robert have left the nest and reside in different states.
"Of course, I didn't start with 16," Meister said. "I started with just maybe five, and then it just started growing."
About a day is spent decorating every room, each ending with Ron placing the toppers upon the trees.
That includes the family's main 13-foot-tall fir in the living room, which fortunately features a cathedral ceiling.
"It's not just the tree that's in the room," Diane said. "When you walk into the dining room, where the candy-cane tree is, everything is candy cane. The table cloth, the dinner plate."
Having significantly more spruce than the average home has resulted in plenty of awestruck family, friends and passers-by over the years.
"When we get food delivered, I would say the delivery people are just in awe," Diane said. "I have a picture of (my grandson), just looking down by his feet, and I turned the lights on and his head just goes up, up, up, and as his head goes up, his mouth drops open."
Each of the Meister grandkids — Reece, Reagan, Rhodes, Remington, Rue, Rhett and Rhea — can look forward to themed prizes that correspond with each tree.
No spoilers as to what lies under each one this year, but Diane does her best to find something to match each theme.
"They go on a tree tour with me," Diane said. "They know they're going to leave with 16 of something."
A staple among Diane's many themes is a "baby tree" to celebrate the youngest member of the family. That spotlight belongs to Rhea this year, with a gender reveal for the next member of the family due for Christmas Day.
Most Meister trees are artificial, though at least one is always real.
"I love the pine smell," Diane said.
Diane's eventual plan is to donate the trees and decorations to family members and worthy causes.
It's a tradition that might be passed along sooner rather than later.
"I would like to sell the trees to good people who want them or need them and then donate the money to Crisis Nursery," Meister said. "Kind of as a star on the top of my tree, that after they've been up and we've enjoyed them, then to continue to give to people who need it. That would make me very happy."
