Christmas Memories of Englewood Past
December 1, 2022 at 4:18 p.m.
Christmas Memories of Englewood Past
By Ken Kocab
Charlie Hicks came to Englewood in 1947, when he was seven years old. His father, Wiley, was a commercial fisherman who was also responsible for the construction of Stump Pass Marina. The Hicks also owned a fish house on the northwestern corner of their property. The family lived on Maryland Street in Grove City, in a home that was built near the center of their property.
Both Mary Kay and Charlie agreed that early Christmas celebrations in Englewood centered mainly on church, school, and the home. The Englewood area in the 1940’s did not offer children or adults the varied type of holiday activities that can be found today. The town featured a few stores such as the Lampp Dress Shop, a hardware store, and a small drugstore. The drugstore carried the bare essentials and offered no toys for sale. “The small soda fountain was the big thrill in the drugstore,” said Charlie.
When Mary Kay or Charlie’s parents would buy presents for the children, they usually had to travel to Sarasota. Charlie said that he usually received one or two presents, which were both very small. Gift choices included such items as jack sets, marbles, baseball bats, or dolls. Mary Kay sadly remembered a doll that she got for Christmas had to be returned because of stickiness problems. Charlie said, “The greatest thing about Christmas was the anticipation of getting up early on Christmas Day to see what toys I would get.”
Charlie believes that the meaning of Christmas has really changed over the years, with things getting much more commercial now. “Children get too many gifts today from their parents. This should not be done, because kids don’t appreciate it,” said Charlie. Mary Kay added that parents definitely tend to spoil kids this way.
As the holidays approached, the early Englewood children were involved in school Christmas plays. Charlie fondly remembered his role as a Nativity scene shepherd, “There were not many kids in school at that time, so everyone was in the play. In the back of the school was a pump house where I was stationed. I was dressed in a robe and a turban, with the pump house disguised to look as mountains.”
The school play and church services were the only community activities in Englewood during the Christmas season. Otherwise, most Englewood residents stayed close to home to be with their families. Area churches also featured their own Christmas plays. Mary Kay remembered playing a small angel in her church play. There were five main churches in the Englewood area at the time, including: The Church of God in Grove City, a Presbyterian church, a Baptist church, a Methodist church, and a Catholic church in Venice.
Home activities were very important to early Englewood residents. Family members from near and far would gather for Christmas dinner and gift giving. Christmas trees were easy to obtain in Englewood. Mary Kay’s family would often visit an area called “Sugar Hill, near the Lemon Bay Cemetery to cut down a tree. Today this section of land is found on Indiana Avenue near the fire station. Charlie’s family would simply go out into the woods near the family home and cut down a cedar tree.
Homes were simply decorated, with no big light shows typically found on many of today’s streets. Mary Kay remembers the simple but beautiful decorations and lights that her mom put on their tree. Mary Kay also recalled gathering Brazilian Pepper branches and helping her mother put them around the front door. Once the branches were in position small electric lights were then added.
The family dinner on Christmas Day was the highlight of home activities. “It was a big deal to get together for Christmas. Family members would come from as far away as Sarasota and even Georgia,” said Mary Kay. “Christmas at home was a chance to stop fishing and have the entire family spend a few days together. Many times during the year our activities would revolve mainly around the fishing schedule,” she added.
Charlie and Mary Kay agreed the Christmas dinners were very enjoyable. “We usually would have ham or turkey, but seafood was also always served,” said Mary Kay. Both families were involved in commercial fishing so including seafood in the menu was very understandable.
Even though early citizens of Englewood were somewhat isolated and lacked many modern day conveniences, they possessed the greatest gift of all, love of God and family. The Hicks and Chadwick families have kept this love alive over the years and plan to celebrate many more Christmases with their loved ones.
Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in December 2007. Mary Kay Kranz (Chadwick) passed away in September 2021.