My Own Christmas Memories (Part 1) by Ann (Jobe) Brown ---d/o Earl Frederick Jobe, gd/o Jesse William Jobe, gt gd/o Caleb Jobe, gt gt gd/o Jesse Jobe, 3rd gt gd/o Eli B. Job(e), 4th gt gd/o Isaac Job(e), 5th gt gd/o Samuel Job and Dorcas MacKay, 6th gt gd/o Caleb Job and Barbary ?, 7th gt gd/o Andrew Job Jr and Elizabeth Vernon http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ajobebrown/jobe/letters_ch_cale_j_brewer.htmlCHRISTMAS AS CHILD IN NORTH FORT WORTHChristmas as a child, living in North Fort Worth by the stockyards, was oneof excitement and anticipation. Though there were a few good memories, as achild, I was too young to know much of what was really going on. There wasalways fighting, daddy taking off and it was a tradition that sometimebetween Christmas and New Years he would end up in jail for some drinkingoffence. Many times we would be dragged hand in tow to look for him onChristmas Eve and Christmas Day to the many bars along Main Street. We justprayed that somehow it would be after Christmas Day, which most of the timeit would be. Being a long distance telephone operator, Mommy worked everyChristmas Day - this was a known fact. Daddy, if home, would take us girlsand pick up Auntie and we would head to Weatherford to Grandma Jobes. Daddywas the youngest of 9 children with a sister and! brother who already hadchildren as old as my mother. So at Grandmas it was always a surprise atwho would show up. And remember Daddy would forever be 'Little Earl' tothem, the baby who was 2 months old when his father died in the flu epidemicof 1919.One of the things that I looked forward to every Christmas was visitingSanta at the huge toyland at Leonard's Department store in downtown FortWorth, Every year it would be changed a bit. One year there were rotatingdolls around the walls and another year a big train encircling it.One year, must have been 6 or 7, and it was Christmas Eve and a beautifulday with the sun shining. We had gone out for a walk and over to Wilsons toget some ice cream. Daddy had returned home and then Mommy decided weneeded to go home and get a sweater before venturing on. When I walked inthe house, the front room was like a toyland as all the presents were underthe tree, not wrapped and put together, I thought the toyland had beenbrought hom! e. I distinctly remember a little pink toy washing machine and abig b aby doll.When I was 7 or 8, was the year that Mommy forgot where she 'hid thepresents' and asked me to get something out of the bureau. When I openedit, I was in total awe of the sight - Christmas presents filled to the top.This was also one of the years that Daddy got 'caught' before Christmas Eve,so really didn't think we would have much of a Christmas. Know this was thelast year that I believed in Santa Claus.When I was 10 or 11, when Daddy was 'away', and things were really tough,I'll never forget Uncle Earl, my mother's brother, coming and taking us toBuddies (now Winn Dixie) to buy us a Christmas Tree. Believe he paid $3.00for that tree, but is one I'll remember always.