Published in 2011, the late John Eddie Vogt’s book, Witches, Bitches, and Other Small Town Folks, brings to life the quirky, unforgettable, and entertaining tales of growing up and living in Kendall County from the 1930s through the 1960s. Thanks to the gracious permission of his family, The Kendall Gentleman is honored to share excerpts from his book for your enjoyment.
In 1954 I bought a full sized mechanized Santa Claus for the window at my store. I am sure there are a number of old people today that remember it from their youth. I can still see in my memory the children standing in front of the window with their mouths agape and eyes wide open as they talked to Santa. One year I put a speaker to the outside and would talk to them as they stood there. He was so real looking in his red velvet suit and hat trimmed in white, shiny black boots and three-point stops as he would “Ho-ho-ho”. He was an attraction for years.
When I closed up the store in 1978, I sold him to a lady who wanted him for her animals. After more than thirty years I’ve learned there is a gentleman and his wife that each year take out Ol’ Santa and have a Christmas party for the remaining animals. It’s good to know that Ol’ Nick is still bringing joy!
More from John Eddie Vogt: The mechanical Santa was one of many holiday memories JEV recorded in Christmas Celebrations, where the town packed the high school auditorium and St. Helena’s basement. For another Boerne storefront from the same generation, read H.O. Adler and the Boy Scouts.
