 | Faye Graves, a native Wichitan, attended school at Friends and Wichita State, concluding at Midwestern Theological Seminary. He has been active in media for many years with Channel 12, KIRL, KFDI, KOOO AM & FM (Omaha), KFRM & KICT 95, as an owner, manager, producer, director and announcer. He has served as President of the Haysville Board of Education. He has also served on several national boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. Faye currently serves as Executive Pastor and Director of Administration and Education at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1415 S. Topeka, Wichita. You may contact Faye by e-mail fmgraves@amenibc.org, or by phone at (316) 262-1452. |
Nostalgia
2004-12-01 08:52:00
‘Snowstalgia’
: Would you share some of your cold weather memories?
ANSWER: December stirs a lot of memories of past good times in Wichita. I remember my school days at North High and my Dad taking me to school in his 1948 Pontiac with the sun shade over the windshield. Funny thing… we didn't need that shade very much in December back than. You see the snow would pile up in drifts to the point that everyone carried a set of chains or had snow tires just in order to get around Wichita. Hard to believe that now days we only average about 4 snows a year with enough accumulation to even think about getting stuck. The snow however made a beautiful background for the Christmas spirit. The lights seemed to burn brighter in downtown Wichita then because there were no bright street lights at that time. It made the neon signs really beautiful with their many colors of orange, blue, red, and green. Downtown of course was in full bloom, with the really spectacular store windows, mechanized Santas, elves, trains, animals, and much work that was evident in each department store windows. I wonder how many of you have seen the movie "A Christmas Story", where the Santa parade took place in front of the department store. Wichita always had that parade and still carries on the tradition. The many big stores downtown, Buck's, Hinkle's, Innes, Sears and the 5&10 Cent Stores, Kress, Woolworth's, Grant's, McClelland's, all made Christmas bright. The KG&E plant on East Central was always bordered with lights. The houses on North ParkPlace, where hitching posts still stand, are decorated to this day. The Salvation Army booths downtown, with the bell ringers, added to the festive spirit. So many memories we could recall, before the days of the malls and big shopping centers, when downtown was the place to be. But, Wichita is my hometown and I would still rather be here at Christmas than any other place. Today, in 2004, there are a lot of memories to be made for you right here in our hometown. Merry Christmas.
