*Resending as link didn't work and text got all mixed up! 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.html AS CHILD IN NORTH FORT WORTH Christmas as a child, living in North Fort Worth by the stockyards, was one of excitement and anticipation. Though there were a few good memories, as a child, I was too young to know much of what was really going on. There was always fighting, daddy taking off and it was a tradition that sometime between Christmas and New Years he would end up in jail for some drinking offence. Many times we would be dragged hand in tow to look for him on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to the many bars along Main Street. We just prayed that somehow it would be after Christmas Day, which most of the time it would be. Being a long distance telephone operator, Mommy worked every Christmas Day - this was a known fact. Daddy, if home, would take us girls and pick up Auntie and we would head to Weatherford to Grandma Jobes. Daddy was the youngest of 9 children with a sister and brother who already had children as old as my mother. So at Grandmas it was always a surprise at who would show up. And remember Daddy would forever be 'Little Earl' to them, the baby who was 2 months old when his father died in the flu epidemic of 1919. One of the things that I looked forward to every Christmas was visiting Santa at the huge toyland at Leonard's Department store in downtown Fort Worth, Every year it would be changed a bit. One year there were rotating dolls around the walls and another year a big train encircling it. (see pictures) One year, must have been 6 or 7, and it was Christmas Eve and a beautiful day with the sun shining. We had gone out for a walk and over to Wilsons to get some ice cream. Daddy had returned home and then Mommy decided we needed to go home and get a sweater before venturing on. When I walked in the house, the front room was like a toyland as all the presents were under the tree, not wrapped and put together, I thought the toyland had been brought home. I distinctly remember a little pink toy washing machine and a big baby doll. When I was 7 or 8, was the year that Mommy forgot where she 'hid the presents' and asked me to get something out of the bureau. When I opened it, 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 the last 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 to Buddies (now Winn Dixie) to buy us a Christmas Tree. Believe he paid $3.00for that tree, but is one I'll remember always.