Mount Olivet Cemetery
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • VISITING
    • Visitor Rules
    • Floral Rules
    • Tourism & Tours >
      • Self-Guided Tour/Brochure
    • Recreation
    • Cemetery Maps >
      • Cemetery Section Maps
  • Stories in Stone Blog
    • Subject Index (Stories in Stone 2016-2020)
    • Subject Index (Stories in Stone 2021)
  • HISTORY
    • History of Mount Olivet >
      • Francis Scott Key
      • The Civil War
  • CONTACT
  • Friends Group/Preservation
    • Mount Olivet Preservation
  • The Star-Spangled Key Cam
    • Special Event (5/30/2022)
  • Monument Hall of Fame
  • Flag Planting Special Event (5/21/2022)
  • Special Event Suffrage (5/22/2022)
  • Workshop (5/23/2022)
  • Special Event Flag Day (6/14/2022)

Stories in Stone

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

12/17/2016

5 Comments

 
Picture
Mr. Santa Claus aboard parade float on North Market Street (between Church and 2nd streets) for the Chamber of Commerce' sponsored visit to town (c. 1950's)
“You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town”


And so starts one of our nation’s most beloved and beholden Christmas songs, albeit a connection to commercial Christmas in nature.  The tune’s overarching appeal is due to its incentive-laden, and mesmerizing, threat to children everywhere this special time of year.  For that very reason, aside from the catchy hook, it has been a holiday favorite to parents as well as children since being first sung by Eddie Cantor on a radio show in November, 1934. 

Santa Claus continues to come to towns across the nation and world, and Frederick, Maryland is no different. I’m sure that there are several inhabitants of Mount Olivet who helped forge “Christmas Magic” for youngsters in our past. However, one is a bonafide certainty—Charles Edward Winpigler.
Born in Frederick on November 11, 1914, “Ed” Winpigler was the son of Harry W. and Daisy V. (Tyeryar) Winpigler. For 45 years, Ed Winpigler owned and operated his own contract excavating business (C. Edward Winpigler and Sons), located on E. 4th Street and still in operation today.

He was very active in his Trinity United Methodist Church, as well as local affairs and youth sports. His obituary states that he was “one of the organizers and coaches for the first Saint John’s baseball team and acted as precinct chairman for the Republican Party.”

As he did much of his professional work underground, Ed Winpigler would take on the figurative meaning of the word by “going underground” during the Christmas season. He would take on a secret identity, however— one that brought extra attention and scrutiny by the general public. He wasn’t a CIA operative, or an undercover police officer. Instead, Ed Winpigler was better known as Mr. Santa Claus, clad in a bright red suit, black boots and fluffy fake beard.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Grand announcement of Santa's upcoming visit to Frederick (Frederick News October 21, 1950)
Picture
Santa visit advertisement appearing in Frederick News (Nov. 22, 1950)
Local news articles from the 1950’s and 60’s talk of Mr. Winpigler’s, pardon, Mr. Santa Claus’ appearances at local civic club Christmas parties and merchant hostings. One of Ed’s earliest experiences came in late November, 1950 when the Frederick Chamber of Commerce brought Santa to town for a parade to kick-off the Christmas shopping season. The date was Friday, November 24, the day after Thanksgiving and Santa made the trip from the North Pole to North Market Street. He continued to proceed south on downtown Frederick’s main thoroughfare, before turning west on West All Saints Street and culminating at Court Square. Thousands of residents were in attendance and lined the street.  “Santa’s sleigh” paused briefly at each block to hand out candy and collect Christmas “wish lists” from mesmerized boys and girls. Thus followed a great tradition for Frederick, the roots of today’s annual Kris Kringle Procession.
Picture
Newspaper coverage of Santa's first "official" visit in 1950 (Frederick News, November 25, 1950)
Picture1955 image of Ed Winpigler's masterful portrayal
Playing jolly “Ole Saint Nick” was a part well-tailored for a man rich in experience of “making his list, checking it twice and finding out who's naughty and nice.” This based on the fact that Ed Winpigler had 13 children (seven daughters and six sons) and 28 grandchildren. He would even boast 9 great-grandchildren at the time of his death.  So what’s a few hundred more from the youth population of Frederick?

An article from the January 19, 1961 edition the Frederick News recounted Mr. Santa Claus’ recent assignment with the Frederick Memorial Hospital’s Ladies Auxiliary:

“…all ladies on the first and second floors of the hospital were given corsages left over from the Snow Ball. All floors were decorated at Christmas and Edward Winpigler as Santa Claus made rounds of every room giving appropriate gifts to each patient. The toys for the children were donated by Sears Roebuck and Co.”

Picture
Ed Winpigler and his dutiful "Mrs. Claus," wife Inez (Betson) Winpigler.
Picture
Ed and Inez pose with their 13 elves (c. 1970)
PictureGravesite of Charles Edward Winpigler and wife Inez in Mount Olivet (Section EE lot 226)
Through his charitable service as Mr. Santa Claus, it’s safe to say that Ed Winpigler made an impression on  kids—from one to ninety-two.

C. Edward Winpigler would pass away 19 years later while at that same Frederick Memorial Hospital. However, he had held on to share and inspire holiday joy for family and friends for one last Christmas. He died one week later on New Year’s Eve, December 31st, 1979.
 
If you have remembrances of Ed Winpigler, “Mr. Santa Claus,” or other “Santas” (interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery) please share with us in our comments section.  We also can add additional photos to the story.


5 Comments
Debra Winpigler Richmond
12/18/2016 11:21:31 am

Thank you very much for this wonderful tribute to our grandfather! He loved playing Santa, in and out of costume. He was a caring citizen, employer, and family man.

Reply
Marjorie Pittinger
12/24/2016 07:11:14 am

Where did you locate the photo of the little girl with Santa? I am the child in the picture and do not remember having seen it before. This article brought back some good memories! Merry Christmas!

Reply
Kay Rice Wood
12/27/2016 03:34:10 pm

What a wonderful picture of my grandfather. He was a great man. He really enjoyed dressing up for the kids. He is miss dearly.

Reply
Jocelyn Shorrow Wetzel
12/22/2017 07:11:54 pm

My dad, John D. (Jack) Shorrow read letters from the boys and girls that were sent to WFMD for several years. These were all pre-recorded and played in the late afternoon. He really enjoyed doing this.

Reply
shane shanholtz
12/27/2017 07:14:49 am

Great Job Chris

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    STORIES
    IN STONE 
                

    Picture

    Author

    Chris Haugh
    ​An award-winning researcher, writer, documentarian and presenter of Frederick County, Maryland history.

    send email

    Subject Index
    (Stories in Stone)

    ​

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2020
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • VISITING
    • Visitor Rules
    • Floral Rules
    • Tourism & Tours >
      • Self-Guided Tour/Brochure
    • Recreation
    • Cemetery Maps >
      • Cemetery Section Maps
  • Stories in Stone Blog
    • Subject Index (Stories in Stone 2016-2020)
    • Subject Index (Stories in Stone 2021)
  • HISTORY
    • History of Mount Olivet >
      • Francis Scott Key
      • The Civil War
  • CONTACT
  • Friends Group/Preservation
    • Mount Olivet Preservation
  • The Star-Spangled Key Cam
    • Special Event (5/30/2022)
  • Monument Hall of Fame
  • Flag Planting Special Event (5/21/2022)
  • Special Event Suffrage (5/22/2022)
  • Workshop (5/23/2022)
  • Special Event Flag Day (6/14/2022)