Truckin' on the Western Branch

Working at Coleman’s? I loved it—too much. Worked until I was 75 years old. When the YMCA approached us about selling, Dabney and I thought it would leave a legacy. Nothing lasts forever. It was the ideal time to sell, but I would miss the people.

Judy Stone Wyatt Twiford met and worked with Twiford at Coleman’s back in 1978 when Lancaster hired her as Christmas help—a temporary job that lasted 25 years.

Customers would say that when they got “down” they would come to Coleman’s for their “fix.”

“Skip” Holland, a comedian known as “The Mad Hatter,” was our first Santa Claus. He’d walk into the gift shop, strike a pose, and wait for people to walk up to him and wonder if he were real. He would climb right up into the Christmas displays. One time he lopped off an end of an extension cord and had it trailing out of his boot. People thought he was an electrified animated figure. He did get in trouble one time though when a woman pinched him to see if he were real—and he pinched her back.

Coleman’s was a tradition. And the kids that worked part time at Colemans? They went on to become doctors, NASA engineers, FBI agents, and more.

Hezie Banks Hezekiah Banks, born in 1935 on an Isle of Wight farm, came to Coleman’s Nursery when he was six years old. His grandparents, Tony and Gertrude Banks, and parents, Johnny and Ruth Banks, all worked and lived there. He worked there for 55 years.

Everyone calls me Hezie—I don’t need any fancy handles. I try not to bruise anybody’s feelings.

I grew up in the business, started working for Mr. Coleman when I was nine years old and he had 20 to 25 employees. I did watering and other simple things. We were open year-round selling shrubbery, landscaping—retail sales. We were across from Mr. Meisenheimer’s, and there were peacocks were all over. We lived on the property and were the only black family in the community. But Churchland was an area where people really got along—a fine, good community.

I went through seventh grade at the Churchland School for Blacks—where McDonald’s is now. I met my wife, Barbara Reynolds, there.

Best thing about Coleman’s was the people, especially the children, who came to the Christmas Wonderland. When the schools came on field trips, the buses would be lined up to the Churchland Bridge. I used to go out to meet the buses. One father came to the Wonderland and said his kids had talked about me. “You’re Hezie, aren’t you?” he asked. “You are a legend in your own time.” People saw me around and I started selling. Mr. Coleman was a real Kentucky gentleman who always had soft music playing on the radio. He had no TV but read lots of books that were spread out on his bed. From Mr. Coleman I learned patience will get you there. When I stared working with camellias, I had to wait for the blooms to identify them; then I learned the leaves. I became the camellia manager on a bet with Mr. Coleman when I identified a Debutante camellia by the leaf.

Hezie Banks. Image by Sheally

I was in the Army and had never been that far from home before. I did two years active duty and four years reserves.

Junie and Mr. Coleman became partners. Mr. Coleman was more laid back; Junie more forceful. Junie got Christmas Wonderland started; then we really got going good with the Snow Palace. I had never seen Disneyland or Disney World, but it seemed like they had come to us.

I remember the fire on New Year’s Eve. We lived in three cottages and in the Coleman house. My whole family had to watch it burn down.

I’m #33 on the rolls of Grove Baptist Church. I helped build the little church part of the new building and planted Bradford Pears around the grounds.

145