I remember going to my "Big Granny's" house every Christmas. Big Granny - FYI - was Willie Mae Jeffers Evans (1889-1989), the mother of my paternal grandmother, Juanita Evans-Newton, w/o Wm Sterling Evans. I remember the chill in that old farmhouse - those gas-burning heaters had a distinct smell that I'll never forget - and Granny - being in her 90's when I was a kid - she always had a prime seating location - right next to the heater. I also remember that there was always a copper pot with water sitting on top - steam keeping the air moist. In the opposite corner of the room was the little pine tree that Aunt Grace Evans-Zeigler had cut from the woods by the pond. It looked just like that little tree owned by Charlie Brown! It had about ten ornaments, each one nearly bending the limb to the ground....and it always had those foil ice-sickles handing all over it. Under this tree were MANY MANY presents. As us kids passed out the presents, everyone would tear into the! m - except for Big Granny - who would make a stack of gifts next to her rocking chair. When everyone else was done opening their gifts - we'd all get excited...because we knew that it as Big Granny's turn to open!! And - did I tell you yet - this was the sweetest woman that ever lived - I still miss her so much. Granny's gifts were always wonderful - cook books, perfumes, aprons, sweaters, nick-nacks - it was great fun watching that sweet face smile. Big Granny died in 1989 when I was in Grad school at Purdue. Today - I live on the farm where she lived for eighty years. I feel her presence all of the time - and no Christmas goes by when I do not remember the love that she gave to her family on Christmas and throughout her life of 100 years. Tommy Newton -----Original Message----- From: gascreve-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:gascreve-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of deborahbryd@bellsouth.net Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:33 AM To: gascreve@rootsweb.com; gaburke@rootsweb.com; flhillsb@rootsweb.com Subject: [GASCREVE] Christmas Past, list mom message In years past we have opened up the lists to remember our favorite family tales about the holidays as a way of sharing our stories and hopefully connecting with new family members and keeping the memories of those that past alive in our hearts. I would like to open the forum up again to that activity. Have fun, who knows you might find the missing link in the family story or hear it from a different perspective. Happy Holidays may they be bright with the love of family and friend those that share our daily lives and those that have blessed our lives in days gone by. List Mom Deborah Byrd ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GASCREVE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Tommy what a beautiful story thanks for sharing! Anyone else out there have a special Christmas memory on an ancestor to share. Surely Dale does! Let's hear em! Newton, Thomas wrote: > I remember going to my "Big Granny's" house every Christmas. Big Granny - FYI - was Willie Mae Jeffers Evans (1889-1989), the mother of my paternal grandmother, Juanita Evans-Newton, w/o Wm Sterling Evans. I remember the chill in that old farmhouse - those gas-burning heaters had a distinct smell that I'll never forget - and Granny - being in her 90's when I was a kid - she always had a prime seating location - right next to the heater. I also remember that there was always a copper pot with water sitting on top - steam keeping the air moist. In the opposite corner of the room was the little pine tree that Aunt Grace Evans-Zeigler had cut from the woods by the pond. It looked just like that little tree owned by Charlie Brown! It had about ten ornaments, each one nearly bending the limb to the ground....and it always had those foil ice-sickles handing all over it. Under this tree were MANY MANY presents. As us kids passed out the presents, everyone would tear into t! he! > m - except for Big Granny - who would make a stack of gifts next to her rocking chair. When everyone else was done opening their gifts - we'd all get excited...because we knew that it as Big Granny's turn to open!! And - did I tell you yet - this was the sweetest woman that ever lived - I still miss her so much. Granny's gifts were always wonderful - cook books, perfumes, aprons, sweaters, nick-nacks - it was great fun watching that sweet face smile. > > Big Granny died in 1989 when I was in Grad school at Purdue. Today - I live on the farm where she lived for eighty years. I feel her presence all of the time - and no Christmas goes by when I do not remember the love that she gave to her family on Christmas and throughout her life of 100 years. > > > Tommy Newton > > > -----Original Message----- > From: gascreve-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:gascreve-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of > deborahbryd@bellsouth.net > Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:33 AM > To: gascreve@rootsweb.com; gaburke@rootsweb.com; flhillsb@rootsweb.com > Subject: [GASCREVE] Christmas Past, list mom message > > > In years past we have opened up the lists to remember our favorite family tales about the holidays as a way of sharing our stories and hopefully connecting with new family members and keeping the memories of those that past alive in our hearts. > > I would like to open the forum up again to that activity. Have fun, who knows you might find the missing link in the family story or hear it from a different perspective. > > Happy Holidays may they be bright with the love of family and friend those that share our daily lives and those that have blessed our lives in days gone by. > > List Mom > Deborah Byrd > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GASCREVE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GASCREVE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >

Great story! Poignant and so like good folks ';out in the country' Randy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Newton, Thomas" <Thomas.Newton@astrazeneca.com> To: <gascreve@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:57 AM Subject: Re: [GASCREVE] Christmas Past, list mom message > I remember going to my "Big Granny's" house every Christmas. Big Granny - FYI - was Willie Mae Jeffers Evans (1889-1989), the mother of my paternal grandmother, Juanita Evans-Newton, w/o Wm Sterling Evans. I remember the chill in that old farmhouse - those gas-burning heaters had a distinct smell that I'll never forget - and Granny - being in her 90's when I was a kid - she always had a prime seating location - right next to the heater. I also remember that there was always a copper pot with water sitting on top - steam keeping the air moist. In the opposite corner of the room was the little pine tree that Aunt Grace Evans-Zeigler had cut from the woods by the pond. It looked just like that little tree owned by Charlie Brown! It had about ten ornaments, each one nearly bending the limb to the ground....and it always had those foil ice-sickles handing all over it. Under this tree were MANY MANY presents. As us kids passed out the presents, everyone would tear into the! > m - except for Big Granny - who would make a stack of gifts next to her rocking chair. When everyone else was done opening their gifts - we'd all get excited...because we knew that it as Big Granny's turn to open!! And - did I tell you yet - this was the sweetest woman that ever lived - I still miss her so much. Granny's gifts were always wonderful - cook books, perfumes, aprons, sweaters, nick-nacks - it was great fun watching that sweet face smile. > > Big Granny died in 1989 when I was in Grad school at Purdue. Today - I live on the farm where she lived for eighty years. I feel her presence all of the time - and no Christmas goes by when I do not remember the love that she gave to her family on Christmas and throughout her life of 100 years. > > > Tommy Newton > > > -----Original Message----- > From: gascreve-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:gascreve-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of > deborahbryd@bellsouth.net > Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:33 AM > To: gascreve@rootsweb.com; gaburke@rootsweb.com; flhillsb@rootsweb.com > Subject: [GASCREVE] Christmas Past, list mom message > > > In years past we have opened up the lists to remember our favorite family tales about the holidays as a way of sharing our stories and hopefully connecting with new family members and keeping the memories of those that past alive in our hearts. > > I would like to open the forum up again to that activity. Have fun, who knows you might find the missing link in the family story or hear it from a different perspective. > > Happy Holidays may they be bright with the love of family and friend those that share our daily lives and those that have blessed our lives in days gone by. > > List Mom > Deborah Byrd > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GASCREVE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GASCREVE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Loved the story!!!! Would like to hear more! -------Original Message------- From: Newton, Thomas Date: 11/29/2007 9:59:01 AM To: gascreve@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [GASCREVE] Christmas Past, list mom message I remember going to my "Big Granny's" house every Christmas. Big Granny - FYI - was Willie Mae Jeffers Evans (1889-1989), the mother of my paternal grandmother, Juanita Evans-Newton, w/o Wm Sterling Evans. I remember the chill in that old farmhouse - those gas-burning heaters had a distinct smell that I'll never forget - and Granny - being in her 90's when I was a kid - she always had a prime seating location - right next to the heater. I also remember that there was always a copper pot with water sitting on top - steam keeping the air moist. In the opposite corner of the room was the little pine tree that Aunt Grace Evans-Zeigler had cut from the woods by the pond. It looked just like that little tree owned by Charlie Brown! It had about ten ornaments, each one nearly bending the limb to the ground....and it always had those foil ice-sickles handing all over it. Under this tree were MANY MANY presents. As us kids passed out the presents, everyone would tear into the! m - except for Big Granny - who would make a stack of gifts next to her rocking chair. When everyone else was done opening their gifts - we'd all get excited...because we knew that it as Big Granny's turn to open!! And - did I tell you yet - this was the sweetest woman that ever lived - I still miss her so much. Granny's gifts were always wonderful - cook books, perfumes, aprons, sweaters, nick-nacks - it was great fun watching that sweet face smile. Big Granny died in 1989 when I was in Grad school at Purdue. Today - I live on the farm where she lived for eighty years. I feel her presence all of the time - and no Christmas goes by when I do not remember the love that she gave to her family on Christmas and throughout her life of 100 years. Tommy Newton -----Original Message----- From: gascreve-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:gascreve-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of deborahbryd@bellsouth.net Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:33 AM To: gascreve@rootsweb.com; gaburke@rootsweb.com; flhillsb@rootsweb.com Subject: [GASCREVE] Christmas Past, list mom message In years past we have opened up the lists to remember our favorite family tales about the holidays as a way of sharing our stories and hopefully connecting with new family members and keeping the memories of those that past alive in our hearts. I would like to open the forum up again to that activity. Have fun, who knows you might find the missing link in the family story or hear it from a different perspective. Happy Holidays may they be bright with the love of family and friend those that share our daily lives and those that have blessed our lives in days gone by. List Mom Deborah Byrd ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GASCREVE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GASCREVE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message