Senior Spotlight: Christmases past

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Top row, left to right: Barbara Buettner, Bonnie Smith, Christine Wise and Faye Aaron; bottom row, left to right: Freida Boren, Jane James, Minnie Mae Johnson and Ophelia Brannon (Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune)

The Tribune stopped by The Folsom Center for Rehabilitation & Healthcare to speak with the ladies on “Diva Hall” this week. We asked them to tell us a favorite Christmas gift or memory from their childhoods.

Barbara Buettner-Cullman
“I got a Pinocchio doll once. I must have been about 7 or 8. That was very exciting! It’s probably still in my room somewhere.”
Freida Boren- Hanceville 
“Always a baby doll. I got one every year. We had a stocking and all that filled with all kinds of goodies and toys. We got fruit and candy.”
Bonnie Smith- Harlan County, Kentucky
“We were very poor and couldn’t buy things. We understood. We celebrated Christmas just like everyone else. We put gifts into stockings and that was all. I love Christmas. We sang carols and had a good dinner. It was nice!”
Christine Wise-Holly Pond 
“The first year I got a baby doll. I was probably about 11. We would get little games and candy. We didn’t get as much as kids do today.”
Ophelia Brannon- Vinemont 
“We got big stuff! I got a coaster wagon and a bicycle. We always got clothes, too. I got my bicycle when I was 12 and I’d sneak off on it. I’d ride it up to Holmes store.”
Jane James-Cullman
“I got clothes and a new baby doll with a wedding dress on it. I was 7 years old. It was so pretty. My momma gave it away years later. She said I was too old for it.”
Minnie Mae Johnson-Mississippi
Ms. Johnson didn’t recall any specific gifts. What she remembered most was time with her mother, daddy and sisters. 
Faye Aaron- Cullman (Ms. Folsom Center) 
“I got a little doll. A porcelain doll. I was 14 and I loved that doll. I still have her. I didn’t name her, but I was real proud of her. She had on a little pink dress and a bonnet. I received a lot of things when I was younger, but that really is something that stands out.”

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