The Mendenhall Business Women’s Club cordially invites you to its annual Christmas Tour of Homes Saturday, December 6, from 5-8 p.m.
The homes of Kristin and Cabe Wall, Ancy and Joseph Rushing, and Kati Winningham will be featured in this year’s tour.
Refreshments will be provided at the Simpson County Courthouse on Main Street beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets for the tour can be purchased for $20 from any club member. This year’s ticket also includes admission to Holiday Magic, our first-ever event of its kind in Mendenhall, which is from 7-10 p.m. at the courthouse and will feature a silent auction, refreshments, activities for kids, door prizes, holiday music, and pictures with Santa. Proceeds benefit the MBWC scholarship program, needy families at Christmas, and other community projects.
The Wall Home
At 210 Old Pinola Braxton Road, Cabe and Kristin Wall with their sons, Harper (16) and Hayes (11) will begin the Christmas season by opening their home for the Mendenhall Christmas Tour of Homes. “Christmas is our favorite time of the year and we’re excited to share our joy and traditions with visitors. We have multiple Christmas trees that reflect our interests, stockings hung that were given by Cabe’s grandmother to every Wall family member through the years, and our Advent calendar where the boys read the story of Jesus’s birth, verse by verse, leading up to Christmas morning. To us, Christmas is a time of joy where we celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promise for a Savior and we’re thankful to get to celebrate this gift each year. It welcomes us back like a warm hug every December and we hope our visitors leave our home feeling a little bit of that Christmas magic.”
The Rushing Home
Joseph and Ancy Rushing with their four children, Gunnar, Milly, Livi and Tuck, moved into their current home at 228 Pine Lane in Mendenhall in 2017 after a complete remodel. The home was originally built in 1973 and maintains some of the charm and quirkiness so loved from the 70s. The layout is perfect for the family of six with two large living areas, an open kitchen and dining area, four bathrooms, and four bedrooms. Most of the decorations used in the home have been accumulated over the years from various family members, decorations by the kids, and antique shops, giving the home an eclectic charm.
The Rushings know that the Lord has blessed them beyond measure not only with their home but even more so with their community and friends. They say they hope to share some of this blessing as they open their house for the Tour of Homes.
The Winningham Home
Originally moved to 254 Poplar Springs Road in 1980, this charming home is the very house its owner, Kati Winningham, was born and raised in nestled right next door to her grandparents, Thomas and Jimmie Sue Winningham. After college and years spent working in Oxford, Kati returned to Mendenhall to lovingly renovate the place she has always cherished. Though small, the home is filled with warmth, nostalgia, and a whole lot of love. Much of Kati’s favorite time is spent in the yard, with her nieces and nephew who live next door frequently running over to visit.
The Christmas decor throughout the home reflects a vintage holiday style inspired by Kati’s childhood memories. Several themed trees honor her family’s legacy:
• One tree pays tribute to her great-grandfather, Bully Patterson, a railroad conductor, and her grandfather, Joe Patterson, whose pine cones from his Athens Road farm—known fondly as “The Place”—were a beloved part of family tradition.
• Another tree is inspired by her grandmother, Genevieve Patterson, featuring ornaments from Genevieve’s classic aluminum tree, a color-wheel light for an authentic vintage glow, and strands of pearl garland representing her favorite piece of jewelry. A cherished gumball tree once displayed in Genevieve and Joe’s home is also showcased.
• A third tree honors her paternal grandparents, Thomas and Jimmie Sue Winningham, decorated simply with blue raspberry candy canes and icicles just as they adorned their tree each Christmas. Red birds throughout the space symbolize Jimmie Sue’s love of birds.
The main tree in the living room is decorated with the same ornaments Kati grew up with, completing the home’s warm, Hallmark-style ambiance. With its layered family stories, thoughtfully preserved traditions, and heartfelt touches in every corner, the Winningham house offers visitors a glimpse into a home built on generations of love.
