Message Forum

Tom, Thanks for another great response. I appreciate the time you spent writing that post. I love to read your descriptions of the past. It is amazing how I can still see Santa in Kixmiller's store over 50 years later. I believe he was Chester Held, that year, who made a pretty good Santa. Tom, Thanks again.

12/07/08 03:18 PM

#376

Yes, I believe Chester Held did play Santa Claus at one time at Kixmiller's.
Looking back at Christmas in Freelandville as a little kid in the late 50's, the Saturday night before Christmas almost had the magical feeling of a Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover.
Snow-covered streets, the Christmas lights that they used to hang across all four streets leading to the intersection, the Salvation Army bell-ringer on the corner, Santa Claus in Kixmiller's Dry Goods store, the lighted window display at Pielmeier's Hardware, Rhiney Kixmiller (in his trademark cardigan sweater & Santa hat) catering to his Christmas shoppers and Wag's Drugstore serving up a hot cup of coffee or hot choclate.
Sad to say those days are gone.

12/07/08 03:27 PM

#377

Ruth: I enjoyed your Christmas lights display. How about next year you line your driveway with blue lights (ala Elvis) ?
Cindy refuses to let me do our driveway....she says I am an idiot.

12/07/08 03:46 PM

#378

Thanks Tom, Since blue is Jim's favorite color he would do everything in blue. I am an Elvis fan but I have to draw the line somewhere. To get the full effect of the lights you need to drive by. I told Dick, when he asked for pictures, if we add anymore we will need to go to the fields.
Also thanks for the history lesson of Freelandville. Many lunch hours in Jr. High were spent walking to town. I remember being upstairs of the resturant, not for teen dances:) but with mom & dad when Larry & Madonna lived there. Patty & I would stop after school for a cherry soda to see Frieda.

12/07/08 04:23 PM

#379

I added one more picture to Ruth's Christmas lights. Take a look.

12/07/08 04:24 PM

#380

RUTH: If you have to draw the line on Christmas lights somewhere, then draw it AFTER you line your driveway in blue lights !
My plan for my driveway will probably never come to pass......thanks to my conservative wife. I want blue lights on both sides of my driveway, all the way up to my patio. Then, I want to write (script) "ELVIS" in blue lights across my garage door. Would be awesome, don't you think ???

--------------------------------------------

I didn't mean to give a Freelandville history lesson. The YouTube girls really "got under my skin" with their irresponsible attitude towards our beloved city. I just wanted to make a point......guess I might have got carried away ! LOL

12/07/08 04:29 PM

#381

DICK: Love the new pic of Ruth's lights ! But, wouldn't it be easier to land with blue lights ??
Also, does Kenny Tarmac ever fly with you ?

RUTH: Those lighted candycanes have to go....BLUE LIGHTS !!!!

12/07/08 04:45 PM

#382

Tom, Blue lights are taxi way lights, but it may be better than candy canes to land with. Tom, I liked your song you emailed me. I'll put it on the sight. Anyone else have any favorites, please let me know. I will put my favorite on in the next couple of weeks.

12/07/08 06:42 PM

#383

Does anyone even know who Kenny Tarmac is ? (Gotta get up pretty early in the morning)

12/07/08 07:22 PM

#384

OK Tom, I am a little slow. I looked Kenny Tarmac up on Google and I am still not sure who he is? Please explain for the slow ones like me.

12/07/08 07:43 PM

#385

Jean Ann Miller (Schroeder)

Apparently, you are not a regular listener to the Bob & Tom radio show.
Kenny Tarmac is a character on the show who is a traveling salesman who is always flying from one city to another. He regularly calls into the show on his cellphone and talks in a loud, obnoxious voice. He is known for saying "we just landed" !!
Hard to explain.....you just have to listen to Bob & Tom.

12/07/08 09:24 PM

#386

Great pictures of your Christmas Lights, Ruth. This year, I will go that direction so I can see them in person. (Even if it is out of the way) HA!!!! I just hope the US air flight 1970 does not come in for a landing!!!

Thanks Tom, for defending our home town... Since I was a country girl, I didn't get to experience the town quite the way you "city kids" did. Lunch hour, and penny candy in a small brown paper bag were two things that I remember. We even picked out our own candy from behind the candy counter. Rhiney even gave my kids a nickel later on in time. He would sit in a chair by the cash register and the kids would stand by him for their nickels each time we went to the store..........

12/07/08 09:36 PM

#387

Luellen Byrer (Miller)

Let's see - so much to respond to! The girls on YouTube said something about Princeton, so I thought that's where they were from (didn't watch the whole video, tho'). They were just rude. As for John Brocksmith, I think I heard them joking about him being "hot".
Nice lights, Ruth! We'll have to go see them in person.
Re. Kenny Tarmac: Tom, Jeff got a chuckle out of your comments. Hey, did you know Donnie Baker is going to be at the Red Skelton Center on December 13? Jeff's the one who listens to Bob & Tom. To me, their laughter is just irritating.
Also Tom, nice remembrances of Freelandville. Didn't you keep this history on the former F'ville website? Jeff has recently (with Nathaniel's expert assistance) put up a website called oledays.org - a place he is hoping people will do some reminiscing of the good ol' days. Everyone is welcome to have a look, post some stories.
Bill Wheat still lives on Main Street. Will have to check out that video. There's been rumors for as long as I can remember. He is a journalist of sorts, sometimes his work is (or was) found in the local newspaper.

12/07/08 10:25 PM

#388

Luellen Byrer (Miller)

By the way, happy birthday today to Sharon & Karen Maberto! (Hobson and Scott now)
And happy birthday (coming up soon) for Judy and Cathy!

12/08/08 07:15 AM

#389

Kent Harting

I believe that today (Dec. 8th) is Bonabeth Duzan'sbirthday.

Happy B-day, if you know about this site!!!!!

12/08/08 08:43 PM

#390

LU:
Yes, I knew Donnie Baker & the P.P. were going to be in Vincennes this month. Not sure he would be as funny, seeing him in person, as opposed to listening to him on the radio. You know the Bob & Tom (radio) Show is on WGN TV every night at 11:00 pm. It is not as funny as listening on the radio. Radio allows you to use your imagination.

Yes, on the old Freelandville Dutchmen website, I had a complete history of every Freelandville business structure (past and present) and the businesses that occupied each structure over the years. Sorry to say, when I discontinued the site, I lost that information. I do still have all my notes concerning the businesses that I used to create the site, but they are not well organized. I put alot of hours into researching these old businesses, talking to some of the older folks of our community, etc. I believe Craig "C-1" King saved the complete website to a disk.
I will check out oledays.org...............I believe I might have a few stories to add to the site.

12/08/08 09:05 PM

#391

Sorry Tom but blue lights just aren't going to happen at my house, I'll leave that up to you on Happy St. Just put them up & maybe Cindy will let you have your "Elvis" for one night.lol Better yet do Brenda & Kent's driveway & see if they notice!! Tom Kirkwood stoped by this AM and being slick he just about wiped out a candy cane & didn't even make it into the driveway!!

If you are out driving around come by & see Jim's lights. I only make a few re-arrangements or suggestions. Just don't get tangled up in the wireing. The tin cup will be out to help pay for Pat's wages since we are on WIN Energy:)

12/08/08 09:15 PM

#392

Dick, couldn't think of another picture I sent you, just checked and I hope USAir 1970 is remote controlled! I'm not sure our 3 acres will land your plane!!!!!!!!!!

12/08/08 10:04 PM

#393

Luellen Byrer (Miller)

Here's a "Christmas present" for anyone who loves listening to music. lucky7radio.com plays a huge selection of Christmas music as well as other genres. No commercials either. And they display the artist/title. Enjoy!

Happy birthday to Bonabeth! Hope you are viewing all the posts. If so, please join in!

Our son Nathaniel was born 30 yrs. ago today, after an ice storm. Hm, kinda like today's weather!

12/10/08 08:59 PM

#394

I'm proud to report that last week I was honored as runner-up in the voting for the RC-7UP/ King Bottling Group of Evansville "Employee of the Year Award".
Employees company-wide submitted nominations during the month of November. Those nominations were narrowed down to the top three.
(Not sure why everyone voted for me.....guess they felt sorry for "that old geezer from Vincennes". I got beat out by a secretary from the E-ville office......I must campaign a little harder next year !)

RC-7UP/ King Bottling Group of Evansville is the 2nd largest RC-7UP bottler in the United States. Headquartered in Evansville, we operate & have warehouse locations throughout Southern Ind., Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Northern Tenn. and Eastern Missouri.

12/11/08 10:47 AM

#395

Jean Ann Miller (Schroeder)

Congratulations Tom. Way to go! I have been away from Indiana for a long time and have lived in the Carolinas for nearly 30 years. A famous meal here in the South is an RC Cola and a Moon Pie. Is that the meal of the working person in the Midwest also? Anyway, you would have been 1st if I had been voting.

12/12/08 10:00 AM

#396

Tom, Didn't know that there was a celebrity so close to the mill in Freelandville!!!!! I would notice any extra media coverage on Happy Street.........So keep it quiet!! Congratulations! Great job!

Ruth, We went by your house last night & the lighting display was spectacular!!! Tell Jim nice work! If anybody else is in the neighborhood, they should check out the Wesner home on the Bicknell-Oaktown Rd.

12/12/08 11:04 PM

#397

Congratulations Tom, next year you'll be #1. If you had put up those Elvis blue lights, I'm sure everyone would have voted for you.:)

Our Christmas display must be bothering some people. Wed. night we had some vandalism & stealing. They took 2 of the candy canes and knocked over 10 others and Santa & reindeer. Everything is put in place by stakes, so since the ground was frozen it was difficult to take more. Jim had to do some repair on Rudolph & set things back in place.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES JUDY, I may forget or get busy and not get back to the web site before your special day.

Wayne, if you read these messages, I saw your nephew Brock running this fall and I thought I was looking at you. He sure looks a lot like you when in high school. Did anyone see Brock's picture in the basketball previews? Time to sign on Wayne.

12/14/08 07:47 PM

#398

Patrick Grabbe

Hey Norman
Its been a long time,glad to have you on board.
Hey Tink, got to visit Graceland for the first time a few months ago, Hallowed Ground, I loved it, also if you watch the Ricky Nelson video on the website you will notice James Burton behind Ricky on his left, one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He was The King's guitarist for a long time until his death. Got to see Elvis in Evansville shortly before his death.

12/14/08 09:59 PM

#399