Halloween is just a few days away and, for many, the threat of COVID-19 is complicating trick-or-treating, costume parties, and other annual festivities. On top of that, the U.S. is enduring a tense election season.
But for Fort Wayne residents looking for a way to decompress and enjoy a few fun-spirited jokes about political candidates past and present, look no further than Kevin Morse’s yard in the 3700 block of Chancellor Dr. on the city’s Northeast side.
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Tombstones in Morse's yard play off politicians and historical figures like William Shakespeare.
Each year, Morse’s front yard transforms into a graveyard of 352 handmade tombstones adorned with Halloween references and riddles. The elaborate display features a 200-pound pumpkin spider, skeleton characters, and more.
“Everything here has been created,” Morse says. “I’m not going to say my mom didn’t swipe a few things from books she saw, but on the gravestones, most of it is my mom’s original humor.”
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Many political leaders have headstones in Morse's graveyard.
Different themed areas can be found throughout Morse’s yard, from the Western-themed Boot Hill, to the Pet Cemetery and the Pirates' Cove, which features a fog machine, treasure chest, and Pumpkin Patch. The centerpiece is a massive pumpkin decorated as a spider in 2020; each year, the pumpkin’s theme changes, Morse says.
As you browse the gravestones, be on the lookout for “tricks,” as well as many Fort Wayne and political “treats” sprinkled throughout the display, Morse says.
“Every one of these tombstones has some type of Halloween joke,” he explains. “We have RIP Van Winkle, Power Napper, and former Mayor Harry Baals. We have politicians out there, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Al Gore, and George Bush. It doesn’t matter if they are dead or not; my mom has found a way to be funny about it. Bi-Partisan funny—both Republicans and Democrats.”
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The centerpiece of the display in 2020 is a 200-pound pumpkin spider.
Morse believes you have to be able to poke fun at everyone when it comes to the Halloween season.
Although the tombstones are the biggest eye-catcher in his yard, there are other touches that make his display stand out.
Closer to the porch, visitors can see animatronic witches and an apothecary with spiders and critters in jars, toad tears, and Crocs in a crock. There’s even a small corner with skeleton critters that mirror the dogs Morse and his wife actually own: A chihuahua, a beagle, and a dachshund.
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Skeleton critters mirror the dogs that Morse and his wife actually own: A Chihuahua, a Beagle, and a dachshund.
Other fun sights include a TV that displays an animated melting man, a skeleton playing the organ, and a skeleton in a casket. The displays are illuminated at night with colorful lights in purples to oranges that stretch across the length of the yard, capped off with a witch on a broomstick sitting atop the roof.
Morse says, ultimately, the decorations and lights all hold one important purpose: To help his neighbors have some fun—particularly in a year filled with doom and gloom.
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Pirates' Cove is one feature of the Morse family's Halloween display.
On the average Halloween, the Morse home will give out between 300-400 full-sized candy bars to trick-or-treaters. Although 2020’s trick-or-treat season is still up in the air, Morse says he wanted to go bigger than usual with his yard display this year to accommodate for any lack of Halloween spirit.
“It’s been such a bummer of the year, between COVID-19 and a rough political year,” he says. “It’s time to have fun. We have socially distanced our tombstones six feet apart, so people can tell if they are too close to someone. People are invited to come out on Halloween; masks of all kinds are encouraged…. Wander through the graveyard; read the tombstones, and really enjoy them. Relax, clear your mind, and have fun.”
While the annual pop-up graveyard has become a fixture in the Glenwood Park neighborhood, it’s also played a special role in the Morse family.
He was first inspired to make a yard display when his parents, Don and Lana Morse, started decorating their own yard for Halloween in 1985 when they lived in Mulling, Illinois. Morse’s mother handmade most of the stones that he still has on display today.
While Morse was an adult at the time when his parents came up with the idea, the small plot of tombstones his mother created enchanted his eldest son who was 5 years old at the time. So In 2011, Morse took over the tradition and moved the graveyard to his home in Fort Wayne.
In the last decade, the tradition has ingrained itself in the lives of his family to the extent that, in 2009, his son married his fiancée on Halloween day in what was a “Corpse Bride” themed wedding, in the graveyard at his parent’s house.
Since moving to Fort Wayne, Morse’s display has grown even bigger.
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Witches and skeletons take over the Morse's yard and house during the Halloween season.
Among the 352 gravestones that cover his yard, only one is repeated, he says: A Western-themed stone for an Orson Buggy. This he attributes to his mother’s diligent log keeping over the years of all the stones they have created. Sections of the yard are decorated with small additions Morse has picked up over the years, too, from faux barbwire to rusted rod iron fencing.
One standout piece in the display includes a boxcar operated by a skeleton. This family heirloom is the car Morse’s wife, Kathy, rode when she was 11-years-old in 1970, as the only girl to ever race in the Quad City’s Soap Box Derby, in Davenport, IA.
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A boxcar operated by a skeleton is a family heirloom. Morse’s wife, Kathy, rode it when she was 11-years-old in 1970, as the only girl to ever race in the Quad City’s Soap Box Derby, in Davenport, IA.
From start to end, the decoration process takes about three weeks to create, Morse says. Not a year has gone by that they have not purchased new decorations for it either. Annual Halloween clearance sections are a go-to for his family when it is time to wrap up the season. A word of advice from Morse to families who want to start decorating their own yards: The end of the season sale is the best time to stock up on decorations, whether you are going to the big retailers or the local shops.
“Just keep it simple, and make it fun,” Morse says. “Don’t overthink it. The creativity builds from something small and just grows from there with new ideas. Remember to include the whole family, and have a great time with it.”
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The Morse family Halloween display comes alive at night.
One conscious decision he has made is to keep his yard display more lighthearted and family-friendly, compared to other frightening attractions one might find during the Halloween season.
Morse says his neighbors have grown accustomed to the decorations and look forward to them each year. Often times, families will come over to help set up the display.
“People will drive by and give me the thumbs up, happy to see it returning,” Morse says. “One guy even stopped and said, ‘We were really worried you weren’t going to do it this year. We are so happy you are.’”