Tucked away in a quiet Papillion neighborhood on Western Hills Drive, Bob and Bindy Frederick have been doing a Halloween countdown since late August. Neighborhood children check daily to see if Bindy has changed the number on the giant pumpkin in the front yard, and she never disappoints.
Before the big day arrives, the lawn will host a nine-foot pirate ship, a ghostly musician, talking pumpkins, a giant skeleton, and various spooky displays.
It all started when the couple moved to Papillion from Gretna forty-five years ago. Bob asked his dad if he would like to build a coffin for a Halloween scene on the lawn. And maybe an outhouse.
“I asked him to make everything so we could fold it down and store it in the garage,” Bob says. “Instead, he built an outhouse that could survive a hurricane. It’s on rollers, though, so we just roll it out every year.”
Lots of items have joined those first two. The Fredericks can still get their cars in the garage, but barely. “In the basement,” Bindy says, “we have a fake wall behind the television, and that’s where all the people are.”
Bindy has become the artist behind this magic. One year, she wanted to add a patch of cornstalks to the display, but she was worried they would draw vermin. So, she did research and made her own stalks out of masking tape and wire.
Bob and Bindy spend about a week organizing the main display. After that, they add something every few days, moving pieces around so the display changes. They often sit outside in the evenings to welcome guests. On weekends, they host parties with various groups of friends and neighbors.
“The first year, it was too scary,” Bindy says. “We had a haunted mansion theme with speakers in the trees and a big, deep voice. But it scared the little kids, so we changed it after that.”
Halloween fun isn’t the only contribution the Fredericks make to Sarpy County. They have been active in community events since early in their marriage. In Gretna, they became involved with the Jaycees and the Jayceettes, which provided leadership opportunities to develop personal and leadership skills through service to others.
Once they moved to Papillion, Bob joined the Chamber of Commerce and the Papillion Lions Club. Bindy joined the Junior Women’s Club and both the elementary and junior high PTO clubs. Bindy also served on the Papillon La Vista Community Schools Foundation for 26 years.
Although their two sons are grown now, Bob and Bindy still support the schools. Their twin granddaughters are proud Monarch seniors, and their grandson just started preschool.
The list of organizations where Bob and Bindy have served is long. Bob founded a beer and food tasting event more than twenty years ago. Hops for Harmony is sponsored by the Lions Club and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Project Harmony, which supports children and families affected by domestic abuse.
In 2010, Bob and Bindy were inducted into the Papillion La Vista Community Schools Hall of Fame as Community Boosters. In 2017, they were honored with the Reflection Award at the Midlands Community Foundation’s Reflection Ball.
None of that really matters to the children who visit the Fredericks’ lawn every October. They just want to open the door of the outhouse to see who is waiting inside. Or maybe they will push the button on the cannon to hear it roar, see it flash, and watch the smoke roll away.
Bob and Bindy will have this year’s display ready for guests beginning the first weekend in October. The experience is free and open to guests all month. Be sure to take your family for a visit this year, because they always add something new. This year, Bindy may have released the Kraken!