This post is for my Michigan friends, but for those who may not know, Michigan is home to the WORLD'S largest Christmas Store. Bronners Christmas Store is located in Frankenmuth, MI. Frankenmuth is a tourist's town with lots of attractions. Our family has been there several times. Even our nation's first lady, Laura Bush, has visited Bronners in recent years. Bronner's Christmas Store is a blast!! Just to see the outside decorations and little white "Silent Night" chapel is worth the trip. There are approximately 100,000 lights which illuminate the grounds every evening. There are also, 24 outdoor life-size nativity figures on display. Bronners is always advertised with the word Christ in capital letters, i.e. Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland.
This morning, I was saddened to learn that Wally Bronner, founder of Bronners, had passed away of inoperable cancer. What was SO commendable about Mr. Bronner was that he strove to keep the focus of the store on the Nativity and Christmas tradition. I believe, in turn, God blessed his business abundantly. Over two million guests come to Bronners annually.
Here are a couple of his quotes:
"Our rule is that everything we do will focus on — or at least not detract from — the Christ whose birth we are celebrating.”
“You want to know the truth?” he asked a Detroit Free Press reporter in 2004. “The truth is no decorations are needed at all at Christmas. What’s really needed at Christmas is that we decorate our hearts.
Here is the web address for further Bronner Trivia:
http://www.bronners.com/triviasheet.html
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A photo of us, taken about 5 years ago, in front of the Bronner's Nativity.
3 comments:
Wally was a very special man and touched so many lives. Read my tribute for more.
Great post. Yes, he was a wonderful man. I saw him this summer when Jason & Kara, Ryan, Megan, Katie and I went up there. We had so much fun and it was one of the weekends when he was autographing. I marveled at his spunk. He was not afraid to keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas, that is for sure.
How sad! I hope that they will continue on with his vision. So many times things change when founders pass away.
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