Editor’s Note: We thank Larry for allowing us to share this with our readers. We welcome YOUR favorite memories. Please email them to editorsarah@yahoo.com for us to share.

From Larry Caver Jr.

Prattville Resident

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

I can recall many pleasant Christmas experiences as a child. One in particular stands out at present. I was in the Fifth Grade at the old Wilmer Elementary School in Mobile County. It was probably right after the Thanksgiving holiday.

My teacher, Linda Butler (Evans) had told the class that we were going to decorate the classroom for Christmas. She asked for student volunteers to bring certain items for the classroom. One by one students volunteered to bring ornaments, Christmas lights, garland, etc. However, no one had volunteered to bring the Christmas tree.

All the while I had been squirming in my seat, as I wanted to participate. There was nothing left to bring but the CHRISTMAS TREE itself. I began to fret… What if no one volunteered? We had to have a Christmas tree. Then out of the blue, I volunteered… All the way home, I wondered how I was going to explain to my parents that I needed to bring a Christmas tree to school.

We were not rich people. We made out alright, but there were times that there just wasn’t extra money, and Christmas was one of those times. At first my mother fretted over my actions. When my dad got home, he did not get upset about it. He pondered a little while, and then took matters into his own hands.

He went out in the woods and cut down a long-needle pine tree. He cut the top out of the tree to make it about 6 feet tall. He then drilled holes throughout the home-grown tree and grafted additional limbs into it to make it look “full.”

The next morning, dad drove me and the tree to school. We had a wonderful Wilmer Christmas tree that year. I was so proud of my dad. He understood why I had volunteered. It just wouldn’t Christmas without a Christmas tree.

-Larry E. Caver Jr.