Christmas In Crider

The older I get, the more I appreciate family. And as our family grows, it gets more difficult to schedule the Christmas gatherings. This makes me have a greater appreciation for my parents, that made sure we spent holidays with the family.

Christmas Eve was always spent at my Dad's parent's house, Momo and Popo Riggs. Then the next morning, on Christmas Day, we packed up and traveled to Joel and Parzettie Fox's house.

Grandma and Grandpa Fox were my Mom's parents and they lived in Crider, Missouri. There are a couple of ways to get to Crider but the route we traveled most was like alphabet soup. After we traveled from our farm at county line to West Plains, we crossed town to K Highway and traveled west to the KK Highway turnoff. Then we drove northwesterly to AD Highway. Crider was exactly three-quarters of a mile north from the intersection of KK and AD.

The other way had almost as many letters. Highway CC west to AD and south to Crider!

From Crider, you traveled east on a dirt road a half-a-mile to Grandma and Grandpa's house on the north side of the road. The house was square, with dividing walls inside the shape of a "+" that divided it into four rooms, all the exact same size. There was a porch built onto the back and an "extra bedroom" attached to that by a walkway. Out front, next to the road, by the mailbox, was a parking area. There was a wooden yard gate and a concrete sidewalk leading up to the wide front porch. And of course, the old dog, "Perp", was there to greet us with a grin. (The only dog I ever knew that could grin!)

Usually, we were the only family there for Christmas dinner. Mom was the youngest sibling, I was the next to youngest grandchild, so all the other Fox children were celebrating with their families. There was usually a little bit of time for playing and exploring before dinner but it didn't take long for the table to be spread.

Aunt Mary Fox was always there to do what she could to prepare for the meal. People today would say that Aunt Mary was "intellectually disabled". We always used the term "mentally retarded", which I guess now-a-days is a no-no. When Aunt Mary was around two years old, she had the measles and a very high fever which affected her brain. She would talk, but not real intelligently. Her motor skills were fine so she could clean, dust, wash dishes, and sweep...Boy Howdy could she sweep and rake leaves!!

Grandpa Fox would be sitting in his old covered rocker, wearing his Key brand, hickory-striped overalls and usually smoking a cigarette (not a ready-roll but a Prince Albert roll-your-own). Grandpa was born in 1893 so by the time I came along, he was older and getting feeble.

Parzettie Rosanna Callahan Fox (Grandma) would be finishing up the meal preparations. I don't remember a whole lot about her meal preparation but there is something curious that Tami always mentions when she sees pictures of our dinner tables. The drinks are already poured... I really don't know why this is mentionable but I guess some families wait until they sit down to eat to pour the drinks!

Aunt Mary in front. From L to R, Grandpa Joel Fox, Aunt Freda (Fox) Cook, Patty (Cook) Goss, My Mom, Helen (Fox) Riggs, Grandma Parzettie Fox, Kenny Cook, Ray Riggs, Fred Cook, Bobby Cook and Ralph Riggs. I assume that my Dad, Leamon Riggs is taking the picture.

The Christmas meal was usually ham, although I have seen some turkey meals in some pictures. All the usual trimmings went with the meal; mashed potatoes, ham gravy, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes and homemade rolls. And the drinks... Coffee for some and for the rest, Parzette's Sweet Tea. And Brother let me tell you, it was SWEET tea! She made it with Lipton instant and it was almost syrup!

After dinner the women would clean up, the men would move to the living room and us kids would hightail it for the back yard. There was no end of places to explore. The old garage, the barn, the smokehouse, the shower house, the chicken house... even the outhouse held a certain intrigue.

Grandma Fox never had a large tree in my memory. It was always a tiny tree, setting on the television or on an end table with a few little gifts around it. We would get gifts for Aunt Mary but I really don't remember getting gifts for Grandma and Grandpa. We didn't receive gifts from them either but I can understand. It would break the bank buying even a small gift for the whole Joel Fox clan!

Aunt Mary by her little Christmas Tree

When it began to get late afternoon, we would get tired of the outside and wander in to listen to the men talk. Although we were usually the only family there for dinner, in the afternoon some of the Aunts and Uncles would show up. I would sit and listen to the stories that Grandpa, Dad and the Uncles would tell and I would give a "Purty Penny" to be able to recall some of those stories. Stories told in that whimsical, quaint, backwoodsy way that was humorous and captivating.

And of course, there was the television... We didn't have a television in our home (still don't) so it was a great attraction for me. Dad would usually watch football. But every now and then... we would watch the Christmas specials that were broadcast on KY3! Most of these Christmas programs are just a faint memory. But I do distinctly remember watching "A Child's Christmas In Wales."

It would finally come time to leave and we would pack up, say our goodbyes and head back east to the farm house.