Sharing Memories of Christmases Past — Gonna Take a Sentimental Journey (Part 2 of 3)

Memories of Christmases Past

Since the holidays are a wonderful time to rekindle those special memories of Christmases past, I thought it would be fun to reminisce.

Celebrating Christmas with my Maternal Grandmother

A few days ago, I posted memories of Christmases past spent with my maternal great-grandparents: Papa and Grandma Daisey Weaver.  After their deaths, celebrating Christmas as we had known it, changed forever. We would no longer gather together in their home for our Christmas Eve celebrations.

Grandma Ella’s House

Instead, my great-aunt Myrtle, Mama, our family and her brother, Uncle David, and his family would gather at my maternal grandmother’s home on Christmas Eve.  Grandma Ella’s single-story, quaint flat-roof house, was within walking distance of Papa and Grandma Daisey’s house.

The design of Grandma’s house was very similar to what is known as an Oak Ridge “Alphabet” house, (and possibly could have actually been one), “Type B” — a 2-bedroom, one bath, cemestos construction (combination of cement and asbestos).

Grandma Ella’s house was so clean, you could literally eat off of the floor (I know people use that phrase flippantly sometimes, but in Grandma’s case, it was true!). Although she would reluctantly use a vacuum cleaner, her favorite cleaning tool was a stiff-bristle broom. She would get up at 4 a.m. every morning, clean and sweep her house thoroughly, and retire to bed by 8 p.m. sharp.

Grandma was accustomed to hard work.

As a young girl, she worked in the garden and fields with her Mama and Papa, and she would remark that she had the face to prove it. Her face was well-lined with wrinkles, whereas her sister, Myrtle, who was allowed to stay indoors much of the time due to her hearing impairment, had fair, smooth skin.

When she was old enough, Grandma went to work at the Standard Knitting Mill and worked full-time, for 40 years. She worked near the looms, and this was at a time when hearing protection wasn’t readily available.

In her later years, she too (like her sister) became totally dependent on hearing aids. Myrtle graduated with a Master’s degree at the University of Tennessee and became a school teacher. While Grandma Ella worked, my mother and my uncle lived most of the time with Papa and Grandma Daisey.  Their dad, Carson, died at the young age of 48.

Christmas Eve Celebration

How all of us managed to fit into Grandma’s little house on Christmas Eve is a wonder. All the kids would sit on the floor while the adults sat on the sofa and available chairs.

Grandma’s house had a large picture window in front. She would move her coffee table under the picture window and place her 4-ft Christmas tree on top of it. It was a beautiful sight. I still have a fondness for simple, 4-ft trees, especially white ones with white lights and red bows.  🙂 

Food took centerstage for my Grandma’s generation when entertaining and that included family get-togethers.  Entering Grandma’s house on Christmas Eve, her entire table would be covered with different types of sandwich meats, baked items, chips, and home-made fudge. Grandma made abundant amounts of fudge — 20 to 30 pounds of milk chocolate and dark chocolate — were two of her specialties.

Just as we had done at Papa and Grandma Daisey’s house, opening of presents would usually start with the youngest person and then proceed to the oldest. My present from Grandma was typically a big, pink bottle of bubble bath which I enjoyed.

One sad event I recall is one Christmas where my Grandmother, in her haste to tidy up her little house after everyone had left, accidently burned up an envelope containing several hundred dollars she had received as a Christmas present from family members. She was heartbroken because she lived on a fixed income.

Later Years

In her later years, my cousin, Greg, and I would often take Grandma to Sunday School and to church. Grandma sang in the choir and loved music.  She had a special friend named Monnie that she would travel with to singings around the area.

Even though they lived close, Grandma didn’t often ride with her sister Myrtle to church. Growing up, they were rivals to some degree. It wasn’t until after their parents died that they became closer. There was still some friction, mainly because they were so different in personality and outlook, but I remember many trips taken across the field with Grandma to go visit Myrtle.

We celebrated every Christmas Eve at Grandma Ella’s until her death in 1996.  She was 91.

In Loving Memory:

Ella Mae Weaver McCloud

Born: April 29, 1905
Died: December 13, 1996

Myrtle Jane Weaver Campbell

Born: January 8, 1908
Died: July 12, 1992