Josephine Ferre came to Castle Garden with the hope of many Italian immigrants. She wanted a better life in America. Tucked with her were four children and a nativity set that now belongs to her great-granddaughter Annette Isgan of Somerset. Isgan thinks about what her relative went through when it’s put on in decoration.

“We cherish it very much. Absolutely, every year I think of that experience,” Isgan said. “I tell my children, and I will tell my grandchildren. and my nieces and nephews, I will tell them.” The set includes animals, Joseph, Mary, the three wise men, Baby Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Ferre’s grandson Peter Ferre of Boswell said he didn’t know when it was created or by whom. “I don’t know if it was passed from generation. But grandma got it,” Ferre said.