Wally Bronner and His CHRISTmas Wonderland
Wally Bronner was a descendant of those first German settlers who founded Frankenmuth in 1845. From childhood Wally enjoyed art. By the time he was sixteen years old, he was painting signs in his parents’ basement. He liked the idea that people would pay him to do something he liked to do anyway. As a teenager, Wally also worked in his aunt’s general store. The experience taught him about how to treat customers.
Wally officially began a sign painting business when he graduated from high school. Local merchants also asked him to design window displays for their stores. In 1951 he created Christmas signs for Frankenmuth lampposts. He married his wife Irene that year.
For the first few years, Wally continued to work out of his parents’ basement. By 1954 he and Irene were ready to build their first building. Wally’s dad built it himself. By then other towns and businesses were hiring Wally to create their Christmas decorations. By the time they moved into their own sign shop, half of it was dedicated to a variety of signs and half of it to Christmas decorations.
Wally and Irene’s Christmas business grew and grew. They began to sell to individuals and families. Their stores in downtown Frankenmuth were so popular that people stood in line just to go inside to shop. In 1977 the Bronners moved to a 45-acre site on the edge of town. They built the giant Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland. After more expansions, it now covers 2.2 acres (the area of 1.7 football fields). Billboards from Florida to Michigan advertise it as the world’s largest Christmas store.
Our children and I visited Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland when we were in Frankenmuth in 1991 and 1999, so I definitely wanted to take Ray to see it. However, I must confess that I wasn’t super excited about it because I didn’t know the story behind it. To me it was simply a giant Christmas store. My attitude moved to very positive after we visited the Silent Night Chapel that the Bronner family has built on the grounds. I plan to tell you about that tomorrow.
I got even more excited after we got inside the store and I learned the Bronner’s story. As we moseyed around the dazzling displays, we heard an announcement that a movie would soon be showing in the program center. It was to be a history of the store. Since we had a total of only three or four hours to visit Frankenmuth, we debated whether we should take the time. We were so glad we did. We not only learned its history, but the room was filled with items from Bronner’s seventy-three-year history. We liked the movie so much that we bought two DVDs about the Bronner’s story and brought them home to share with our team at Notgrass History.
In one of the DVDs that we purchased, we learned that Wally didn’t only help his own business, he also helped the town of Frankenmuth. He encouraged the beautiful German architecture around town and helped the town become the fun destination that it is today.
Though Wally Bronner eventually turned over his business’ management to his family, he continued to serve as the heart of Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland. He worked a ten-hour day on his eightieth birthday. He told people that he never worked. He said that retirement is for people who work. Then they can spend time on their hobby. He said that he started with his hobby.
Wally always spelled Christmas, “CHRISTmas.” In one of the DVDs, his daughter spoke of the deep faith of her parents. Every bag that a customer carries out of Bronner’s and every package the company mails includes a tract encouraging the customer to become a Christian.
Wally Bronner died in 2008 at age 81. A few days before he died, he wrote:
Today’s Good Friday was an especially GOOD FRIDAY when our dear family in prayer agreed to the reality that our loving Lord and Savior — the CHRIST of CHRISTmas — is ready to receive me into his heavenly kingdom where all believers in the Creator God will be with him FOREVER AND EVER . . . NOTHING COULD BE GREATER!”
Wally and Irene Bronner began a foundation in 1966. The foundation continues to relieve poverty and to advance education and Christianity.
What a wonderful opportunity you have as a homeschooling mama. Perhaps your own fourteen-year-old is enjoying some hobby that can some day become a life work that will bring joy to millions and will spread the gospel around the world.
For the Son of Man has come
to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10