 | 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
2006-11-01 11:31:00
Christmas
ANSWER: For me, December is the brightest month of the year. I’m not speaking of weather, but the beautiful decorations, pageants, parades and everything on display. Christmas of course is the birthday of our Lord, and that is what really makes it beautiful and bright. But along side of this is the beauty that appears everywhere. Although the traffic and shopping has moved to the shopping centers, my best recollections of Christmas shopping and decorating are of the old downtown area. There were always hundreds of shoppers, heavy traffic, Santas in the stores and on the street, and music everywhere. It seems as though Christmas carols were being sung all of the time; and Christmas carolers were in almost all of the neighborhoods. The creativity expressed by the window decorators was superb. Hinkels, Bucks, Innes (later Macy’s), Henry’s, Walkers and Spines were all ‘trimmed’ to the max. Families couldn’t wait for the trip downtown to see what each store had in its windows. Many had animated characters. Hinkels had a window, that even back in the 40’s before TV, enabled you to talk to Santa who was in the basement of the store. This was accomplished by mirrors and reflection and of course a two-way PA system. Remember the big Santa on his throne in Bucks who laughed all the time? Then there were the dwarfs that were building the model train and toys in Santa’s workshop in the Innes windows. Some would choose a Christian theme depicting the birth of Christ. Everyone was excited to see what was going on downtown. Remember the neighborhoods? There are not as many now that decorated as then, but some of the larger homes in College Hill and Eastborough were a sight to behold, all trimmed in beautiful lighting and garland. Remember the two trees in Riverside Park at the bend of the river with the star flickering in between? My, what memories Christmas and December bring with them. Merry Christmas to Everyone!
