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WOMEN of EARLY OCONTO COUNTY
descendant contact: Rita
 Evelyn Kurz Collection Santa Makes Annual Visit - Santa Claus paid his annual visit recently to Annie Holl's general store at Hayes. He's shown here with Miss Holl and some of the youngsters who greeted him. (1964) |
1964 Times-Herald; Oconto Falls
Annie Holl's Christmas Party
A Hayes Tradition
For the 28th year the Christmas season was. opened by, Miss AnnieHoll at her general store at Hayes with a Christmas party for the children of the community.
Post cards, signed by Santa Claus and postmarked at Santa Claus, Ind., invited the children to meet him at Annie's store. Three generations of youngsters have had the thrill of getting these cards and attending the party.
The store is stocked with all the delights of Christmas and Santa listens carefully and jots down the little and big wants. Annie's brother, Bill, takes Polaroid pictures of the youngsters with Santa Claus and gives them the prints, along with sacks of goodies.
800 Sacks
Six hundred sacks had been prepared prior to the morning of party day and 200 more were fixed in the afternoon. Ordinarily Annie and her "hired man" handle the business of the store and its custom meat cutting service, but eight extras were called in to help on the day of the Christmas party.
It will be 75 years next June that Annie's father opened the store. When she was 14 she went into the store and her father I immediately let her take over the management, buying and merchandising. In 1955 she remodeled the building and the result is a modern store.
Annie has taken the welfare of the children to heart and that is the motivation for the annual Christmas party, the help she gives the 4-H Club, the Fourth of July fireworks and the playground equipment on her lawn.
An Honorary Member
The Suring Future Farmers of America and the 4-H Club have given her honorary memberships.
There have been many changes since the 14-year-old girl started in the store. These changes can be traced through the evolution of lighting in the store from kerosene lamps, to acetylene lamps, and finally to flourescent lights. But Annie Holl is still youthful and no one was happier or exuded more good will than the little lady who thanked everyone for coming to the Christmas party.
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 above: Early photograph taken of the village of Hayes. To the far right is the porch of the 1896 Holl General Store with owner John Holl and daughters. The original store was puchased by John Holl in 1889 and this larger, more modern building replaced it. right: Anna Holl poses in her Sunday best at about the time she began working in the store. |
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 John Holl and Veronica Kurz Holl (seated) with children 1923 40th Wedding Anniversary Looking into the bright sunlight are; standing left to right:John Holl (jr.), Joseph Holl, Jacob Holl, Elizabeth Holl Wagner, Margaret Holl Renier, Katherine Holl Philippi, Anna Holl. |