[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 70 (Monday, May 1, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               HAPPY 50TH BRONNER'S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND

                                 ______


                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                           Monday, May 1, 1995
  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, there have been many times when we have 
wished it could be Christmas 365 days of the year. The special feeling 
that this wonderful holiday inspires enlightens us, and helps us to 
focus on kindness toward all.
  Well, the people who work at Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland should be 
the envy of us all because for them it is Christmas every day of the 
year. This Wednesday, Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store, 
celebrates its 50th anniversary at its store on 25 Christmas Lane in 
Frankenmuth, MI. This fantastic store, operated by Wallace ``Wally'' 
Bronner, supported by his parents, Herman and Ella Bronner, started as 
a small sign store to its current enviable position of offering a 
selection of more than 50,000 items from all over the world. The design 
and production of Christmas panels for merchants from Clare, MI, marked 
the first official sale of Christmas decorations to other communities.
  Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland is a must-see holiday store for the 
consumer. And it is also a major supplier for churches, businesses, 
industries, cities, parks, shopping centers, parades and parties. It is 
a family-owned and operated business, now including its third 
generation of Bronners, that has grown from its early days as a small 
sign shop through several expansions that now allow it to boast a 
showroom equal to the size of four football fields. At peak time, more 
than 400 people are employed on a full or part-time basis at this 
manger of holiday spirit. Much of the merchandise is imported from 
other manufacturers, but the most special pieces include those designed 
and produced by Wally Bronner himself.
  And not forgetting that the true part of Christmas is its religious 
heritage; Wally, Irene and other members of the Bronner family 3 years 
ago opened Bronner's Silent Night Memorial Chapel to both signify their 
thanks for God's blessings, as well as to provide an opportunity for 
the millions of people who surely visit Bronner's over the years to 
pause and offer their own thanks for what life has given them.
  Mr. Speaker, Frankenmuth is a community that speaks volumes about 
what commitment to one's neighbor and hard work can accomplish. Like a 
sturdy tree, it supports many branches that extend through its 
commercial, agricultural, educational, and social greatness. It is 
filled with people who we would all like to have as our own neighbors. 
When it is crowned with the bright star of Bronner's CHRISTmas 
Wonderland, the decoration of this tree is truly complete. I urge you 
and all of our colleagues to wish the Bronner family and the hundreds 
of dedicated, good-spirit inspiring employees the very best on the 50th 
anniversary of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland.


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