Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 159, No. 43, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 17, 2008 Page: 32 of 40
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Clferokeeaif Herald ■ thecherokeean.com
Reflections of Christmases Past
Families had little money, but discovered love
and the real meaning of Christmas
For the past several years the
Cherokeean Herald has solicited
Christmas remembrance stories from
residents of local nursing homes.
The stories of past Christmases are
touching and take us all back to the
days of our youth.
By Eddie Brown
When I was around 12 years old we
lived in Beaumont. My grandparents
came from Louisiana every yearto stay
with our family during the Christmas
holidays.
We had a big meal, stockings filled
with candy, apples, and oranges. I gota
bicycle on that Christmas. I remember
that was my favorite Christmas.
By Marie Penn
Every Christmas our family went to
our grandparents' house. We always
had a lot of good food, cakes, pies, and
fruit. Each child got a stocking filled with
candy, nuts, apples and oranges. We
always got a small present from our
grandparents. My favorite gift was a
horse and buggy that I loved.
By Walter Carpenter
When I was young my grandmother
lived on the same land we did. She
was with us during every holiday. We
always had a big dinner and plenty of
pies, cakes and fruitduring Christmas.
One year my dad bought me a new
Radio Flyer bicycle for Christmas.
] remember that was my favorite
Christmas ever.
By Alma Wallis
My sister and I were raised in Little-
field, Tx. My mom always made sure
we had chicken and dressing and all
the trimmings. We always had lots of
sweets, fruit and nuts. One year my
sister and I both got a new doll and
my mother had made both dolls a lot
of new clothes even shoes.
My brother was in the Navy and he
sent me a handkerchief made out of the
fibers of an Aloe Vera plant. That was
my favorite Christmas as a child.
By Sunshine Dickson
I got a doll and Santa Claus brought
it. He was dressed in red, I got candy
in my stocking. I was about eight. My
doll was a big surprise. She had black
hair and she could cry.
I remember a big Christmas din-
ner, with dressing, cake and pies.
My favorite was chocolate. My mama
made a good chocolate pie.
One Christmas I got some perfume;
] was about nine or ten.
By Mary Smith
We went and got a Christmas tree,
theprettiesttreeever, with silver icicles
and we decorated it with bulbs and a
spray can of snow.
My aunt wouldn't let me have a
doll, I got cars.
One night, Santa Claus brought me
a doll. I named it, but the name didn't
stick. I kept her till I tore her up. I was
about 13 or 14.
By James Henry
My best Christmas memory was in
1979, the first year I was in the service.
I spent it in Florida. We all went down
to the beach and it was slightly cold,
but we started gathering up wood for
a big bonfire. And we found this little,
spindly-looking tree and we started
decorating it with all we could find on
the beach. When we went back the
next day, it was still there.
Even though it was cold, even in
Florida, I waded into the water waist-
deep and they took a picture and I sent
it to my mom with a postcard, saying
"Here I am in Florida while you're in
Massachusetts!"
By Nellie Kennedy Gray
My early Chrismases were happy
ones. We hung up our stockings.
We didn't get many presents, but we
appreciated what we got. The girls
would each get a little china doll with
no clothes and one apple and one
orange, and a few pieces of chocolate
candy, which we called "fancy candy."
The boys would get a little French harp
(harmonica) with the same kind of fruit
and candy the girls got.
We lived on afarm, and each Christ-
mas morning, each farm family would
come to our house and call "Christmas
gifts," and my parents would have a
package for them consisting of food
with a little fruit. This fruit was bought
in town, which was a few miles away
from home, brought to our house and
hidden for Christmas night.
Once we got suspicious because
we could smell the fruit and we found it
and the candy and we got to nibbling on
the candy. That year we didn't get any
candy because we had eaten it all!
After Christmas lunch, we would
gatheraround thepump organ and sing
carols. Then we might play baseball.
Baseball was made out of a raveled
sock made into a ball. We didn't have
two teams, each person just played to
see if he could getaround the base. Our
bat was a board from the fence.
At night, we would play ring games.
My daddy would call "Cotton-Eyed
Joe." These Christmases remain a
good memory to me to this day.
Editor's Note: Mrs. Gray died Dec.
8. Staff and residents at Lexington
Place, as well as family and friends,
said "We rejoice in the knowledge that
this Christmas season will be Miss
Nellie's most memorable."
By Nathaniel Thacker
As a child I grew up in days of the
depression, I was raised by my grand-
father on his farm. He had his own
syrup mill, raised his own chickens and
vegetables. Everybody shared meat if
they butchered hogs or deer.
I remember this one Christmas we
went out in the woods, cut a pine tree
for a Christmas tree. There were no
decorations. We put socks up and if
we were good we got one apple, one
orange and one piece of candy. Our
dinner consisted of chicken dress-
ing, pies, cakes and what food we
raised.
By Robert Cruseturner
Times were hard in the depres-
sion.
I remember my daddy gave me $5
to go and buy Christmas gifts, which
would consist of fruit and nuts. On the
way I lost my $5 and a friend loaned
me his. I was embarrassed and afraid.
We didn't have a Christmas tree 'til
after my sisters were grown up. Then
it was a small pine tree. Our dinner
was chicken dressing, pies, cakes and
home grown vegetables.
By Mammie Clouse
We would go out in the woods and
cut down a Christmas tree. Then we
would take homemade Christmas
cards and hang on the tree. Then we
would take celephane and make ice
cycles and hang them on the tree. A
penny was put in one sock, a nickle
in another sock and a dime in the last
one. Then we raked up leaves and
straw and put an old washtub over it
with a hole in the center to cook a pot
of taters and pinto beans. Then we
would sing Christmas carols.
By Inez Calhoun
As a child we lived in the country. We
had our own cow and chickens. Come
Christmas if someone killed a turkey or
a hog they would share with us.
We would go out in the woods and
cut a cedar tree and decorate it with
paper chain and strung popcorn. My
gift consisted of one store bought doll
and homemade feed sack dresses.
Our meal was chicken and dressing,
turkey and sweet potatoes.
By A.C. Poole
As a child growing up I don't re-
member having a tree. My Christmas
gift consisted of homemade toy gun or
marbles my sisters brought home. Our
Christmas dinnerconsisted of meat we
killed, vegetables we raised along with
tater pie and cakes.
BSB
It's Christmas in the country..
It's Christmas in the town...
It's Christmas in the barnyard.
It's Christmas all around...
But most importantly of all,
It's Christmas in our heart!
Cherokee Warehouse
Hwy. 69 South • Rusk
903-683-3414
years old arid I can remember many
Christmases that would let the world
know we have a Savior. I have seen
presidents and I have seen the great
depression. I can remember when
you could feed a family of four for $1,
example: hamburger, potatoes chip,
coke, and a dessert. Things are good
now because we have come through
so much. Each day is a Christmas
to me.
to be alive. I am again very active in
decorating forthe holidays. I also enjoy
decorating the activity calendar board
every month.
By John Skinner
At Christmas time we would cut
down ourown tree, usually cedar, make
paper loops and foil for decorations.
Thatyear I got a tricycle for Christmas,
then later on I got a bicycle for $5. Our
stockings were hung and we got one
apple, one orange, one piece of candy.
Our dinner consisted of meats and
vegetables we raised. We may have
gotten some store bought clothes,
but not many.
By Carmen Black
The Christmas I remember we hung
stockings on the mantel board. It al-
ways gotfruit and a porcelain doll. I was
so proud of my doll that when I dropped
it and it broke I felt real bad. Our dinner
consisted of meats and vegetables
we raised. My mother always made a
marble cake for Christmas.
By Lester Sessions
I remember my Christmas as being
one to be surrounded by family. My
wife and I had our children and we
raised some of our family's children.
We are a loving and supporting family.
I received values from my parents and
I see them displayed in my children
and grandchildren. I love Christmas.
The gifts are all okay but what could
never take the place of gifts would be
the family that surrounds me each
day. I love my family. My brothers and
sisters, we love our Christmas. So
many changes have come and gone
but Jesus has kept us through them
all. I am truly blessed and thankful for
the Christ in Christmas.
By Doris Norton
All of our Christmases were good,
but I rememberone in particular. I came
from a big family, 10 kids. We always
shared whatever we had with other
people in their community.
My father was a farmer and was
a share-cropper with several other
families. One family was not going
to be able to have a good Christmas
that year due to hard times. My family
shared what we had. We gave each
child a toy and the family clothes to
wear. We really dressed them up. I re-
memberone of the boys asked "where
did all this come from?" and my father
replied that it fell off the train.
by. The store was owned and operated
by two brothers. That Christmas Eve,
thebrothersbroughtovertwobig boxes
of food and gifts for my family. They
wished my family a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year.
By Minnie Gilcrease
My Christmas growing up in the
depression was one without a tree.
We had our names on our chairs. We
would put our stocking on our chair.
Santa would put one orange, one
apple, nuts, homemade candy and
one toy doll for girls. Our clothes were
made out of feed sacks and some store
bought. Our dinner consisted of meat
and vegetables we raised as well as
pies and cakes.
By Juanita Santiago
I remember being with my family
and all the good food we would eat. We
would go to the midnight mass at our
church and give thanks to the Lord for
what He gave us throughout theyear. I
have an addition now to my family and
I am so pleased. One of my daughters
has moved close to me and friends
come to see me. I am so thankful for
my family and all my friends. We had
gift exchange afterchurch services and
seeing the look on my family's faces
was priceless. I know what I am really
thankful to have not only on Christmas
but throughout the year.
By Glenda Davis
In 1999, I was diagnosed with
colon cancer. It was My first year at
Twin Oaks. I was always decorating
for the holidays and very active. But
after my surgery and taking It was quite
an adjustment to not be able to do for
myself. But that Christmas turned out
to be very special for me.
My landlord brought gifts to me at
the home. My father andsisterbrought
refreshments and gifts for me at the
Christmas party. It made me thankful
By Bob White
When I was about 10 years old,
I recall a Christmas during World
War II. There wasn't much metal to
be used in the United States. But
my brother and I were happy to find
something great under the Christmas
tree, two sawdust pistols. The pistols
were made of sawdust and glue. We
weren't rich like everyone else was.
But unfortunately, about a week later,
it rained. Then the barrels fell off the
guns and they came apart.
By Emilie Foshee
In 1925, my parents said they had
a baby doll for me for Christmas. But
then they handed me a baby brother.
I still laugh upon remembering this
surprise to have a real baby. This
was a very special Christmas that I
will never forget.
By Victoria Maldonado
When I think back about Christmas I
remember many things. But, one thing
in particular was that I remember my
mother hanging stockings and filling
them on Christmas day. Mybrotherand
I thought it was Santa, who put out the
stockings and filled them too.
By Anna Young
Christmas was always a wonderful
time for our family. We would have
Christmas on Christmas Eve. Then we
would go to church at midnight. When
we came home the Christmas tree was
decorated. And, it was just beautiful.
Homemade toys were our gifts.
By Christine Mason
My father passed away when I was
nine. I remember that the winter after
his passing had been particularly dif-
ficult. We chopped wood for the local
store where we had traded just to get
By Dolletta Moore
My father and I would go out and find
a Christmas tree. There were always a
lot to look at and we always selected
the best. We would cut the tree down
and take it back home. It was such
fun decorating this very special tree.
Christmas was always wonderful.
By Molly Thurman
I do remember growing up with
my siblings and the gifts we would
get. When I was a little girl I got the
chance to kiss Santa and I loved it I
thought if I put my tree by my bed I
could catch him when he stopped by.
I fell asleep and I missed him. I did
love my gifts I received but I wanted
to kiss my Santa.
By Anita Adams
I remember my mother would have
the prettiest Christmas tree and oh how
pretty the gifts were under the tree. We
had very little money but that didn't
stop us from having pretty gifts under
the tree for us. My mother managed
her money somehowand it amazed us
how she did it. When I think about the
times we live in now and how people
think they can't make it, well all they
need to know is it can be done and my
mother proved that. I was six months
old when my father passed. We had
love and I have passed this on to my
family. Christmas is so very dear to
my heart.
By Lela Elliott
I remember that my father and
mother had so little money for us kids.
There were 11 of us and at Christmas
time we had food to eat. We had no,
or very little, toys this was so hard on
my parents during this time. I am 102
i
cmicwa
AT THE B RTH OF OUR SAV OR
holy season.
For the goodwill yowve shown us, we
are sincerely grateful.
Alto Nursing Center
305 Maggie Sessions Dr. • Alto
936-858-2255
K
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 159, No. 43, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 17, 2008, newspaper, December 17, 2008; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152865/m1/32/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.