Taking Time for Traditions

Jim and Flo Colhouer, owners of McCaul Tire and Appliance, along with Nancy Faulkner, wife of the late J.D. Faulkner, carry on a 27-year tradition as they pass out pumpkins to kindergarten students at Masterson Elementary. From left, Christian Todd, Nancy Faulkner, Allison Yount, Flo Colhouer, Jim Colhouer.

Staff photo by George Anderson

A tradition that is more than a quarter of a century old continued once again on Wednesday, as representatives from McCaul Tire and Appliance visited Masterson Elementary to distribute pumpkins to the kindergarten class.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., Jim and Flo Colhouer, owners of McCaul, along with Nancy Faulkner, wife of the late J.D. Faulkner, pulled up to the elementary school with a truckload of pumpkins.

The tradition began in 1982, when the late J.D. Faulkner became known as the "Pumpkin Man," by driving to Pumpkin Hollow at St. Francis, Ark., to get enough pumpkins for the entire kindergarten class. Faulkner wanted to ensure that every child had a pumpkin for Halloween.

In the early days, the students would walk from their school, which was just down the road from his tire and appliance store, to pick up their pumpkins.

After 19-years of the Halloween tradition, Faulkner had to find a new supplier because the price of pumpkins went up. Faulkner's new supplier's pumpkins were so large, he knew the students would not be able to carry them back to school, so he consulted with school officials and began delivering the pumpkins to the school.

Following Faulkner's death in 2001, his daughter and son-in-law, Flo and Jim Colhouer, began carrying on the family tradition.

Flo Colhouer has said the pumpkin delivery is something her father looked forward to every year, adding that the excitement in the kids' eyes is "priceless."

The Colhouer's plan to continue the tradition as long as they are able to do so.