Dr Pepper Christmas tree is just what the doctor ordered.
For many families, the holidays bring memories of hot chocolate and eggnog under the tree on Christmas Eve. Kelly Feddern, though, recalls spending time with her dad at Christmas. And Tim Adrian believed there was only one beverage worth drinking – that’s Dr Pepper.
Feddern, who lives in Lake Highlands with her husband and two daughters, is a social worker in Children’s Medical Center’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She teamed up with child life specialist Lizzy Peterson this month to spread a little cheer for patients, families and staff at the hospital. The pair used a Dr Pepper theme.
Children’s traditionally encourages volunteer groups to come into the hospital and decorate Christmas trees, but the pandemic complicated that plan. This year, they invited staff members to decorate trees, and Feddern invited Peterson to help celebrate her dad’s love of Dr Pepper.
Feddern’s dad passed away suddenly 13 years ago from a stroke, but his favorite holiday was Christmas and he always made sure his two daughters experienced the joy of the season. He took time each year to string lights on the house and put up wreaths for her mom, and he stressed to his girls that the true joy of Christmas was in giving, not receiving.
The Dr Pepper-themed tree stands in the hospital food court for all to see and enjoy.
Whether or not you drink Dr Pepper, you may be interested to know its history. Like many soft drinks, it was created in a drug store pharmacy. Charles Alderton, a pharmacist at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, perfected the flavor in 1885 while mixing and matching syrups at the shop’s soda fountain. Patrons originally ordered the drink by asking the soda jerk to “shoot a Waco,” but Alderton later named the drink after a Dr. Charles T. Pepper, colleague from his younger days. Just remember: there’s no period in Dr Pepper.
