Skip to content

Stolen Baby Jesus and donkey returned to Nativity scene

Theft threatens to dampens holiday spirit of local woman
28429ponokanativity-scene-theft-JHK_8727
The return of a baby Jesus and donkey to Melaney Ravnsborg's home east of Ponoka was a happy ending for the holiday season. The pieces were stolen overnight of Tuesday

It’s been in the family for many years and its display has been somewhat of a family tradition but the theft of a baby Jesus and donkey from a Ponoka area woman’s Nativity scene threatened to dampen her holiday spirit.

For the last three years Melaney Ravnsborg has taken to decorating her front lawn on Highway 53 just east of Mecca Glen School with a Nativity Scene that was in her aunt’s family for many years. This year was no different for Ravnsborg, who set up the scene and lights and assumed all was well. That was until she noticed on the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 23 the baby Jesus and donkey were missing from her Nativity scene.

Apparently someone had walked onto the property the night before and removed the two pieces. It was a shock to Ravnsborg, who said the scene was something her aunt and uncle —Mable and Jelmer Johnson had built many years ago and made a tradition of showing during the holiday season.

Her main question was “why”.

It affected her on many levels; not just the theft of the two pieces, but the willingness of the individuals to steal the items. “I don’t know if I could ever put it up again because people are going to steal it,” she said worriedly.

As soon as she noticed the missing pieces, Ravnsborg contacted family members who took to social media sites to raise awareness of the situation. They sought the help of Ponoka and area residents to look out for the irreplaceable items.

The week progressed and it seemed there was no hope but neighbours rallied and provided Ravnsborg with missing pieces from their own Nativity scenes and as luck would have it, the missing pieces were located on a rural road on Boxing Day. For Ravnsborg it was a happy ending to what could have been an irreplaceable loss.