COUNTY LIFE
Christmas villages sparkle
Bennie Walker shares his memories, traditions
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Christmas is all about memories and traditions, and no where is that more visible than the home of Bennie Walker as it twinkles and shines with his vast collection of Christmas villages.
As soon as you step into the living room you will hear the happy sounds of toy trains, the swish of an ice skater on a rink and the soft whirl of the ferris wheel from different parts of the holiday town. It is definitely a place where the holidays shine and Walker is happy to share it with his friends and family.
Walker is a longtime Bowie resident and a 30-year retired educator. At 73 he retired twice. He was with the Texas Education Agency, taught at Bowie 13 years, followed by a brief time at Chico before retiring in 2001. In 2002 he returned to teach at Valley View for seven years, before retiring again, and then returning to Valley View.
After retiring again Walker left the school to be available full-time for Mary, and as her illness progressed they decided to move to Missouri, where their oldest daughter’s family lived and she wanted to help care for her mom. Walker says they had planned to stay for a few years, but two weeks later Mary would be gone and Bennie came back to Bowie.
He is a man still grieving for his wife, especially as their 50th anniversary would have been celebrated this year.
“We knew each other six weeks before we got married,” exclaimed Walker. “Two weeks after I met her I asked her to marry me. We were married 42 and a half years when we lost her. She is buried at Truce Cemetery and I usually go out on Sunday.”
Read the full story in the weekend edition of The Bowie News.
This weekend find the deals in the City of Bowie Community-wide garage sales April 26-27.
See the map of a garage sale locations in Bowie in the mid-week Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
The big take-away from Tuesday’s Bowie Business Boost was time: “It only takes six seconds to make an impression in life.”
Lorie Vincent, certified economic developer, professional trainer and writer, was speaker for program number three of Bowie Boost with a focus on “Memorable Marketing in a Post-Pandemic Era.”
She opened about how she had started her business, ‘Acceleration by Design,’ and things were “rocking,” when 2020 came and things changed with the worldwide pandemic. As things began to reopen it appeared there were more opportunities but also more challenges.
Vincent laughed as she showed a Richard Simmons “Sweating to the Oldies,” infomercial that became one of the most popular and still running ads.
“Can you believe back then we would call a 1-800 number and give someone our credit card? That is crazy. They used big music, big voices and big adjectives,” exclaimed Vincent.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
(Top photo) Lorie Vincent, Acceleration by Design, discussed how marketing has flipped upside-down in this post-pandemic era. She spoke at the Bowie Business Boost part 3. (Photo by Barbara Green)
Enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast and support the Bowie Senior Citizens Meals on Wheels program on April 27.
Serving will be 7:30 to 10 a.m. in the center at 501 Pelham. For $10 feast on biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs and hash browns, plus coffee, tea and orange juice.
-
NEWS1 year ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS5 months agoSuspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS1 year agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS1 year agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS9 months agoMurder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
NEWS12 months ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
NEWS1 year agoBowie Police face three-hour standoff after possible domestic fight
-
NEWS1 year ago
Driver stopped by a man running into the street, robbed at knifepoint