The holiday season seems to have been nice to everyone I have talked to. Not only was Santa nice to them, but many got to visit with loved ones, or have them in their homes during the holidays. We got to have all our children and grandchildren, except one granddaughter, in our home to help us celebrate. It takes children to get that merry Christmas spirit in your system.

 

Two families that had to change their plans for Christmas were the Roy Chumneys, Sr. and the Elmo Newsoms.  Carl Chumney was severely injured in a fall shortly before Christmas, so was confined to bed, so Christmas had to come to him.

 

Carl is an agricultural engineer teacher at Tarleton State University , but had contracted to erect a feed mill on a farm near Godley during the holidays. Carl married Emma Lou Newsom, so Elmo was helping him when the accident happened. Carl was putting some metal up on the elevator section of the mill when he slipped and fell about ten feet, hitting his back on concrete. The fall cracked two vertebra in his back and jarred him up pretty well. By putting on a brace, he is now able to be up for a short time, but it will probably be two months before he can resume his teaching.

 

Some others who had their holiday plans upset a little were the Hamilton Volunteer Fireman. On Sunday afternoon they were called out to the Robert Sloanes in the Ohio community where a car was on fire. The main damage to the car was the electrical wiring, but the loss to the fireman was great-part of the last half of the Cowboy football game.

 

They were called out pretty early Christmas morning, possibly before some of them had got to check all that Santa had left in their stocking. Luckily again there was not much damage. Smoke from a filter in the heating unit had caused the alarm.

 

A fire was reported about six miles out on Farm Road 2005 toward Goldthwaite Friday night, but when they arrived, they found it to be some brush people were burning.

 

In all three runs, there was very little damage, but isn’t it great to know you have some fireman who are willing to come when you call?

 

The Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department recently held their annual fund drive. If you have not returned your donation yet, wouldn’t it be a great way to say “Thank you, fellows” by mailing in your donation.

 

 

Another person I contacted during the holiday season was here for a much different purpose than celebrating.  She was Nancy Sparks Miller.  I had gone to the hospital to see Edgar Sparks and had expected to see Nora when I knocked on the door. It had been so long since I had seen the children, they were not in my thinking.

 

When a young lady came to the door, she grabbed me by the arms and said, “Mr. Abernethy.” I know my face registered great surprise, so she soon said, “I’m Nancy ”. Don’t you just like for people to give their names when you meet after a long absence? It sure takes you off the hook a lot of times.

 

We had a nice visit, recalling some of the past days. Nancy still looked as young and petite as she did when she pranced along with the Hamilton High School Band as a majorette. The big surprise came to me when she said that her oldest child was now in college. I later got to meet her two fine children and her husband.

 

Nancy and her husband were in church services Sunday morning, but I doubt if there were very many there who were there when she attended as a girl.