Written by Antoinette Nevils

Learn more about her work and see the birds that she cares for in our exclusive online video.

Visit Wings of Love Bird Haven, Inc. online at bird-haven.org.

“This field of equine therapy is not just pleasure riding. We’re helping the people physically and mentally, and we have 150 volunteers helping us do it. I want Wings of Hope to continue long after I’m gone.” Growing up in Fort Worth, Margaret rode horses all her life.

“During my first job as a camp counselor, I took my earnings and bought my first horse,” said Margaret, who believes horses help people to be whole. “It’s a combination of the spiritual side and the physical. The horse is an amazing healing
tool for the people Wings of Hope serves. These children and adults are disabled. They have to have a doctor’s release saying that riding their horse won’t
hurt them.”

Wings of Hope Equitherapy is a premier center fully accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) serving 97 adult and youth clients from Tarrant, Dallas and Johnson counties since 1996. “We are involved in Special Olympics, Chisholm Challenge and Horses for Heroes,” Margaret said. “At this point, as I am retiring, I am free to be a connection with the parents and caretakers, because our program director, Julie Rivard, is doing a great job of running everything smoothly.”

The staff and volunteers keep a busy schedule caring for the horses, managing the barn, teaching riding lessons and leading nondenominational prayer meetings between each class. All Wings of Hope instructors are NARHA certified and have extensive experience with both horses and disabled riders. Riders are taught to control the horse with reining. They are taught to control themselves through the use of games played from astride the horse. And they are taught responsibility through teamwork and stable management with volunteers. To help clients develop spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically, therapy at Wings of Hope is designed to increase cognitive skills and self-esteem, and to improve balance, coordination, posture, fine motor control and articulation in each rider.

“These children and adults have bonded with the horse, and they think about their horse and their riding lesson all week long! For every rider, we need three volunteers during their lessons. What the child or the adult rider experiences in the hour they are in their lesson, amazingly, is 12 people giving them care during that hour! And their parents and caretakers are supported through the prayer group,” Margaret said.

“We’ll have a child for one hour. Parents have them for 23 hours! The care these
children require is unbelievable.” The pleasure Margaret gets from helping people is contagious. She first entered this field in the 1980s, when she was already volunteering at a soup kitchen in Fort Worth. She learned there her gift was rehabilitation and exhortation. “In the soup kitchen, I spent hours and hours praying with children and adults, leading them to the Lord. We baptized 150 children from the streets! When you’re energized in what you’re doing, you realize you’re doing what God is calling you to do,” Margaret said. “It’s life-changing when you’re operating in your gifts.”

She knew, however, that she needed paying work and she prayed for a place to work that would allow her to use her gifts. “I wanted more. I loved horses. I wanted to make use of my gift of rehabilitation,” Margaret explained.

“What happened next was a miracle!” She answered an ad on October 15, 1986, and was immediately hired to work in Keene at Odyssey Harbor, which served children who had been abused, teaching them to trust again through therapeutic riding.

Margaret’s life experiences have taught her that once you learn one skill, you can use it in other areas. “I had been director of religious education for St. Andrews Episcopal Church before volunteering in the soup kitchen, and at St. Andrews I had learned to play guitar and lead vacation Bible school,” Margaret said.

“That experience prepared me to be effective when Patti Pace and I led the church and prayer meetings at Odyssey Harbor. She and I used to tune our guitars and say, ‘It’s OK if it’s not perfect; it’s just the love that counts!’ As it turned out, the combination of all of it was most important. The prayer group and the riding was a ministry that those kids responded to.

“We added prayer and church to our therapeutic riding and what we did was so effective that when Odyssey Harbor closed in 1996, they agreed to give us their horses if we would open a private, nonprofit equestrian program.That is how Wings of Hope began,” Margaret said. “I know I was led into this organization and it was God who turned it into a ministry.”

At Patti Pace’s place in Burleson, Patti and Margaret began to give riding lessons to clients who were not abused, but were physically, cognitively and emotionally handicapped. For three years, between prayer meetings and lessons, Margaret and Patti also raised funds to purchase 26 acres in Egan, dedicated to Wings of Hope.

Volunteers were always welcome. Margaret’s niece had a friend named Nancy Knox, who rode cutting horses. She chose to volunteer, but died shortly after making the commitment. “Her family donated, in Nancy’s memory, enough money to build a covered barn and an arena. With that, other foundations came in to support Wings of Hope,” said Margaret, adding: “As my husband used to say, ‘If God is chairman of the  board, and if He wants it to happen, then it will.’ After that, Lockheed Martin came on board to help build the stalls and tack room, HB Zachary Construction donated
the concrete, and Morrison Supply Company donated the plumbing and fixtures. Three trucking companies from Cleburne transported seven truckloads
of reclaimed asphalt to build the parking area and United Co-op Services donated the outdoor lighting.” The Amon G. Carter Foundation has been a big supporter, funding the driveway, the purchase of more land, a farm truck and a site plan for future improvements, which will include an outdoor arena, more barn and stall space, and a chapel for prayer meetings and church services.

For now, Margaret often leads a prayer group at Wings of Hope. Recently after a riding class, a beautiful dark-haired woman in a wheelchair, the woman’s caretakers and other riders joined in for worship. Margaret picked up her guitar and asked the client what song she would like to hear. Pointing to letters on a laminated card to spell out words her vocal chords could not quite articulate, the woman called for “The Joy of Jesus” and Margaret picked up her guitar. With a big grin on her face, she urged the group to sing out, “I am so happy, so very happy, for I’ve got the joy of Jesus in my heart!”

Reminiscing, Walter cannot recall what the need was when buying the vehicle. “I’m not even sure there was a need,” he added. The car was bought to be used. All three children drove it while they were in high school. One child, who will remain anonymous, even has a fender named after her. Walter and Billie used it extensively in the ministry, too. “We drove it to revival meetings in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas,” he stated. In 38 years, the car boasts of 238,000 miles and several new paint jobs.

The family moved to the Waxahachie area in 1979. The Beetle was no stranger to downtown Waxahachie. The most notorious thing Walter did behind the wheel of the VW was something his family hopes he never does again. “I had gotten two Longhorns and two calves in the corral. When I went to get the pickup truck, it wouldn’t start,” he said. “There was a trailer hitch on the Beetle, so I hooked the trailer up to the car and pulled the trailer to Reagor Springs,
by way of downtown Waxahachie.” As he laughed at his antics, he pointed out a model his friends
“lovingly” made for him to commemorate that particular trip. The car has been garaged and driven on rare occasions for the past two decades. During these 20 years, it only received periodic maintenance.

Two years ago, Walter and Billie took a trip to Alabama. It was on this particular jaunt that Walter got an idea.
“We were visiting my nephew, Sam Buchanan,” he said. “Sam had restored a ’74 Beetle. When I saw his, I knew I had to have my Beetle refurbished, too.” The process of taking the car back to its original state began with an overnight trip. “I started out at 5:00 p.m. on June 29 of last year,” Walter said, “and I arrived in Alabama the following morning around 9:00.” At this point in the story, Walter felt it was time to give a comparison on gas prices. “In 1972, I
filled up for $1.85. It took 7.4 gallons,” he said. “On the trip to Alabama, I filled up for $12.30, and this time it only took 5 gallons.” Needless to say, the numbers proved his point when he made the decision to drive the car to Alabama instead of having it shipped via trailer to its destination. “I drove it because it was
economical,” he explained. “In this case, gas was cheaper than shipping costs.”

The car performed perfectly, even though it had no working dash lights. The Beetle was driven at 60 miles per
hour, or so Walter thinks, because the only way he was able to monitor his speed was by the illumination of a very
small flashlight. His records also show he averaged 33 miles per gallon. Not bad for a 40-year-old car.

Once the motor cooled, Sam wasted no time in getting started. He kept a detailed time line on his Web site, which made it easy for Walter to follow the progress on his beloved car once he arrived back in Waxahachie. The first items removed on the last day of June were the front bumper, hood, lights, fenders and the rear deck lid. On July 1, the motor was extracted, along with a good portion of the dirt dauber population of Waxahachie. The engine only had to be partially dismantled. “It was in excellent condition,” Sam said. By July 4, the engine was pretty much ready to hit the road, but the work on the Beetle] had just begun.

By July 16, new brakes for the VW were ordered. On July 20, after Sam had put the engine back in the car [complete
with new engine mounts], he ran into a problem that took a lot of thought. “The engine was sitting too high in the car,” he remembered. “It had been in the car for 40 years. Why was it not fitting now?” Walter quickly reminded
him that the car had been rear-ended, thus causing the right rear quarter panel to be out of alignment. The idea of a major body repair was more than either Walter or Sam had planned for, so modifications were made in order to get
the motor to fit with the new mounts.

A month into the project, Sam and Walter were finally able to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. “On August 6, I wrote that I was 75 percent done and only had 75 percent to go,” Sam laughed. While waiting on the body shop to allocate the time necessary to do the new paint job, Sam painted the wheels. Two-tone wheels were painted on August 12. Sam learned two-tone takes lots of patience and some detailed craftsmanship in order for them to look good. “But it was worth it,” he added.

Finally on August 31, Sam was able to take a photo of an empty garage. This let Walter know his car had made it to the body shop. In just a little over two months, the car was complete. Sam encouraged Walter to have it transported back to Waxahachie. “It was the only car on the carrier that day. The transport driver stopped on Main Street, just west of the square,” Walter said, recalling the day when he was finally reunited with his “bug.” “Sam had driven the car onto the carrier and the driver wanted me to drive it off.” Walter was nervous, but he backed the car off the truck successfully.

Walter could not be more proud of the transformation. He never doubted the outcome. “Sam is a very talented
guy. He’s built three airplanes and a racy sports car,” Walter said. “He’s meticulous and detail-oriented.” The only thing Walter cannot figure out is why Sam failed to reinstall the trailer hitch.

– Written by Sandra Strong

Written by Melissa Rawlins

In April 2008, the group began in earnest to work toward creating a shelter in Limestone County. They were able to purchase a five-acre piece of land, and soon after, they were given an unused mobile home that they could refurbish to provide office space, a cat habitat, and a place to bathe animals. The county committed to building a culvert and a road to the future permanent shelter building.

At any one time, as many as 100 to 130 animals come into the care of this dedicated team. The large number of animals in need gives urgency to the task of raising funds to build a permanent shelter. Such fundraisers as “shelter showers” and brick sales help generate the funds needed so that construction can begin on an environmentally friendly building with solar power. The most important work of the shelter sponsors is placement of the animals into homes where they will be loved and cared for. People from as far away as Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas can look at the LARAS House Web site and choose a dog that is currently living in a foster home. Once or twice a month, on a Saturday, there is an Adoptathon on Highway 84 where interested families can see and interact with the animals available for adoption.

The date of the next Adoptathon is also found on the Web site. Last year, 357 animals found new homes through this process. All kinds of animals find their way into this shelter: dogs, cats, goats and horses. There is even a foster home for hamsters and guinea pigs. There are 25 or 30 foster homes where dogs are cared for. The foster families often find it difficult to part with an animal that is preparing to move to a permanent home. “We cry,” Jay said. “When you bottle feed a puppy or a kitten you get attached. You have to remind yourself you are only keeping it healthy for its future family.” Until the building is possible, the group is working with local veterinarians, public officials and private citizens to be sure rescued animals have what they need.

Editor’s Note: For more information, contact LARA’s House at 903-644-5275 or e-mail limestoneshelter@gmail.com.

Written by Joan Kilbourne

“Frito Lay was my dinner,” he said, “and I worked with the
Labor Pools. I had moved. I was staying in an apartment-like
place off of Grand Avenue [in Dallas]. My wife came to visit
me. I had been praying. I had made up my mind it was time for
me to change, so I asked God to intervene, and He did it for
me. That’s when my change began to take place. I felt myself
in present danger, I was not comfortable in that area — in that
lifestyle — anymore, and I felt it was time. I know that was just
God tugging.”

Now, Jasper is the pastor and co-founder (along with Linda
and three Ennis residents: Alice Lindsey, a retired schoolteacher;
Anna Ewing, a local businesswoman; and Paula Blessing) of
The Way, Truth and Life Church. The Church was officially
founded approximately 14 years ago, and has recently established
a consistent congregation of 65-70 people. The group has really
begun to shine in the past few months, according to Linda.
“It is amazing,” Linda said. “We’re looking at the hand of
God. We’ve been obscure, like in hiding, for a long period of
time. Our ministry was known more or less to people just in
this area, because of the GED program we had for about six
years, and we would sponsor youth rallies, back-to-school kind
of things. Things we would do would be just for this area. We
would put it out there, but you know it would only be a few
people in this area who would really, come.

“It is the church’s time,” Linda said. That, coupled with the
atmosphere of acceptance that pervades the church, explains
the sudden increase in congregation. “We’re not like most
churches — and I wouldn’t want to say anything that would
judge other churches, but there’s a lot of freedom here. And
we’re multicultural, truly diverse. We’ve never wanted to be
known as an African-American church, a white church or a
Hispanic church. We’ve always wanted to be known as a church
where you don’t have to be anybody to be somebody. We’re
eclectic. Don’t put us in a box.”

The thrust of the church’s ministry
revolves around empowerment. This
is why much of the church involves
children and young people. In addition
to the GED program, Linda and Jasper
founded a child care center in 2002.
Jasper and Linda have been married
for 33 years. After their reconciliation,
they had two more children, both of
them girls. When they met, Jasper had
recently come out of the Navy, where
he had served three years. He said he felt
the call of the Lord when he was 17,
but instead decided to join the military.
Even after his three-year term of service
ended, he still ignored the call to ministry.
He became a drug dealer — a fact
unknown to Linda for nearly the first
13 years of their marriage. When he —
with the help of God — overcame his
addiction, he heeded the Lord’s word, got
back together with Linda and set out to
become a pastor. “I ran from the Lord
for 21 years before I finally accepted my
calling,” Jasper said. “You know, God
will let you do that for a while, but when
enough is enough, He [pulls you back in].
So He broke me. I always tell everybody
that He rode me as if I was in a rodeo.
He put the spurs on and the bridle in my
mouth and He broke me. That was my
turning point.”

Jasper is soft-spoken, with a ball cap
pulled low over his brow and a T-shirt
that accentuates his large biceps. His
muscular, stocky frame makes him look
more like a club bouncer than a pastor,
but his honest, down-to-earth demeanor
makes him approachable and easy to
relate to. “I usually tie in a lot of what I
have done and bring it into my messages
to make it real for the people,” Jasper stated.
“If I can tell them something about
what I have been through and what
has happened to me, then it will help
them. There are three things I preach
that I’d like to see in each and every one
of them, and that’s truth, transparency
and transformation. If we’ve got those
three things in our lives, then God can
help produce some mighty things for us.
So I’m real transparent. It just opens it
up more for the people when I can talk
about myself. People feel comfortable
when they feel you are for real. Matters
of the heart, that’s what I call them.”

Linda is more extroverted — she
speaks passionately and exuberantly
of the church and its endeavors. Jasper
saves his talkative side for the pulpit. The
pair is as close to perfectly matched as
possible, and it shows in the success they
have managed to cultivate together.
After reuniting, Linda and Jasper
moved to Ennis, where they decided to
build a house. They purchased land after
having it surveyed, and were set to move
forward when they ran out of money.
Their plans seemed at a stalemate, when
Jasper and Linda went to Dallas for a
ministerial engagement. “It was there
someone said to me ‘Well, I heard you
moved to Ennis to build a church,’”
Linda said. “I told my husband, ‘That’s
how rumors get started.’” So, instead of
a house, they built a church, which has
become more than a home for their
ever-growing congregation.

Linda met Alice Lindsey at an Ennis
Bible study and they quickly hit it off.
The ministry officially began in Alice’s
home. Now, 14 years later, they remain
hard at work, attempting to bring peace,
positive change and hope to their
community. “Right now we’re all seeking;
we’re all hoping we can find a true way —
that we can bring things together. We’re
still here. We’re still striving to do all we
can do, while also being led by God,”
Jasper said. “We’re listening to the voice
of the Lord.”

Written by Adam Kohut

“Every wild idea I have, Bobby just stands back and says, ‘Okay!’ He’s supportive and knows this is who I am and so he stands by me in it.”

This 28-year-old mother of two (4 -year-old Tyler and 9-month-old Hunter) ran a marathon right before conceiving Hunter. Four years before that, Kristin wrote a romance novel while her hubby fought in Iraq. After seven years of polishing and promoting, that book, One Day at a Time, has just been published by Devine Destinies. The children’s book she wrote this summer is called While Bear Was Away, and she’s working to get it published, too. Meanwhile, she and Bobby perform their own balancing act in which they enjoy a healthy family life in
Joshua, where he grew up.

Wisconsin-born and -reared, Kristin is glad to have family so close. “One thing we were worried about while we were both in the Air Force was that our children would not have a relationship with anyone except for us. Here, they have their grandparents on Bobby’s side,” said Kristin, who has seen a lot of good come from their three years in Joshua.

“I ran The Big D marathon in April, after moving here in September the year before. It was a very cool experience to be able to do that,” said Kristin, who had not run at all before she started training. “It was neat to be able to train my body to do that, and then to run the whole thing.”

Kristin plans to start running again once the boys are older. “My husband and I want to do it together, as a family activity.” Since his birth in March, the Rodgers
were contacted by a talent agent and Hunter was photographed by JCPenney.

“He’ll be in a couple ads. That was kind of neat,” Kristin said. “I like to have my kids try new things and do new things.”

Recently, Kristin left her job at Burleson Independent School District (BISD) to stay home with her children.

“I sit with Tyler and like to practice the alphabet and try to get him ready for kindergarten,” said Kristin, who believes her boys have brought the kid out in her again. “We jump in the leaves, go on pony rides, go see Santa, go to bounce houses. You can be yourself and be goofy with your kids. It’s just a really fun time.”

In her private time, Kristin enjoys writing children’s stories. She hopes to publish While Bear Was Away, and has another one nearly finished. “I don’t have a name for it yet,” said Kristin, of the book inspired by a tale her grandmother and mother passed on to Kristin about thunderstorms. “I adapted that to tell a rhyming story of Jesus in heaven playing baseball with his angels, explaining the wind and thunder and lightning. I always thought that would let my son see the storm in a different way and ease his fears.”

Inspiring her children also motivated her to write While Bear Was Away. “It’s
a rhyming story, kind of taken from my travels,” said Kristin, who has been to Denmark, Venezuala, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, England, Italy, France,
Belgium, Amsterdam, Germany, Mexico, Monoco, Norway, Austria, Czech Republic, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, and a dozen or so American states.

“Fox tells bear, ‘Why don’t you go see the world?’ Bear is off doing all kinds of exciting crazy things. Fox takes over his cave, and when Bear returns his cave is a mess. But they end up being friends.”

Kristin is still waiting to hear whether any publishers will accept her manuscript. The publishing industry is known to be hard to break into. “But you try and try, and it just takes one publisher to break,” Kristin said. “It’s not always nice
to get rejection letters. But when you get the one good letter, saying, ‘This is good
stuff,’ it restores all the confidence you lost during the rejections,” said Kristin, who has always liked writing. “Despite the walls in the publishing world, which
tends to break you down, I’m persistent and motivated and believe in myself enough to be able to accomplish.” Kristin has seen that throughout
her life, and points to a high school experience as her best example of how it pays to not give up. “I started applying in 10th grade to be an exchange student the
next year. I’d gotten a letter in the mail saying I wasn’t a fit for the program,” Kristin said. “Then I met another woman who had been accepted for a year in Denmark. But she didn’t want to go.

“I saw an opening. I called a random guy in the Rotary club and said I wanted
to take her spot. A couple days later, my mom said the guy called and the girl had called and said she didn’t want to go, and he offered me her spot.” Normally a very shy, reserved person, Kristin credits her trip to Denmark with taking away her fear. “It helped me learn to throw myself into new situations, especially to go for what I want. Even if they tell you, ‘No,’ you can still do it.”

Patience and organization are two talents Kristin applies every day to help her achieve her goals while giving her family what they need. “I do a lot of reaching within me, and even if I’m just really tired, I know it needs to be done,” Kristin said. “Still, some things need to wait. Like training for the marathon or
scrubbing the house,” said Kristin, who gratefully takes advantage of times when Bobby or his parents want to take care of the boys or when the boys are in bed. Then, she can do the heavy cleaning of her home or take care of her personal
goals, like writing.

“My children know I have other things I have to get done; still, I think it’s
important to shut everything else out and just let it be us because one of the main things children want is positive attention, like doing puzzles together or coloring
or just listening,” Kristin said. “One day when the time is right, I’ll go get another
job, and that’ll be my career.” Now, Kristin balances her creative compulsions with her strongest desire: “I want to be there for my kids, enjoy my family while
they’re here and have no regrets.”

Written by Melissa Rawlins

During most of the year, the jungle gym and the bathtub that serves as a fort or a ship that sails away on adventures are enjoyed by the Harrison’s six grandchildren and their five great-grandchildren. But in October, a transformation begins. Mr. and Mrs. Claus bring their big red sleigh out of the shed. They unpack thousands of lights and set up the serving table for the party. Painted wooden figures pepper the space with Christmas characters and lighted bells are hung from the flagpole in the front yard.

Evelyn Harrison, sometimes known as Mrs. Claus, grew up in Sioux Falls,
South Dakota. She passed the civil service exam as a high school senior and when she graduated, she was employed at the Air Force base in Sioux Falls. That is where she met and married Charles, who was stationed there. Evelyn has convictions about the value of families staying together.

“I am one of eight children,” she said, “and I am the only one still living. I urged my cousins to get together here while they are still able to come. I even sent them ‘stimulus checks’ to be sure they would.”

Charles Harrison, sometimes known as Santa Claus, grew up in Kerens, Texas, which was home to his great-great-grandmother. Both of his great-grandfathers were in the Civil War. When Charles enlisted in the Air Force, he was involved in World War II. He served in the infantry until he was injured. After that, he was sent to be a nose gunner on a B29 Liberator plane. Charles said, “I knew nothing about guns or planes but that didn’t matter at that time.” Later, he became a teletype operator and again, “All I knew was how to type.”

Charles arrived at the Air Force Base in Sioux Falls with 40,000 men, all scheduled to go to Japan. The plan changed when the A-bomb fell. “The base closed at the end of the war,” Charles said. “I was in headquarters detail, so I
closed the gates.”

Back home in Texas, Charles had worked on a farm for $1 a day, so he wasn’t surprised when he found a job working on a farm in South Dakota and was told that he would be paid $1.

“What surprised me was learning that they meant to pay $1 an hour.” When he returned to Texas, Charles said, “I worked at the agriculture school the Army managed in Kerens. The Army started a junior college in the barracks and that was the beginning of Navarro College. Altogether I was in the Air Force for 21 years.” Charles explained that he served a year beyond the required 20-year retirement mark “to be sure some joker wouldn’t count wrong and mess it up.”

Even now, he remains connected to the service. There is a picture on the wall of their home of Charles in the uniform of the Commemorative Air Force. When Charles and Evelyn returned to Texas, they began farming on Charles’ grandmother’s corn and cotton farm. Later, he joined the tombstone business in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and uncles. “In those days,” Charles remembered, “people could take an insurance policy for 10 cents a month, and when it was needed, they would be provided a $100 monument.” The large raw granite slab table in the backyard of his home is a reminder of that time.

In 1987, the couple moved to their present home in Corsicana. While their son-in-law, who lived in Garland, was building their house, Charles and Evelyn worked each night clearing the site after the workers left. “No one would come to do it all the way from Garland, so we came home from work and afterward we were sometimes too tired to bother eating dinner. We both lost 20 pounds,” Evelyn said. Charles and Evelyn paid off their house working at jobs that paid well during the industrial boom time in Corsicana; Charles worked at Bethlehem Steel and Evelyn worked at the hat factory.

Evelyn remembers that it was hard to learn how to sew the braid for the hats. “I even cried sometimes at first,” she said. But the boss was encouraging and the $3-an-hour pay was a big step up from her previous job that paid only 75 cents an hour.

The Christmas party tradition began in the late 1950s in Kerens. Charles was already dressing as Santa to ride in the Kerens’ Christmas parade. Their oldest daughter was impressed that her daddy “frowed” away candy in the parade. Her first grade class was invited to the first party. The next year, 25 families drove by in cars to see the decorations and eat cookies. The third year, more than 50 people began to walk around the yard looking at the new lights and displays. In the Texas spirit of “Y’all come” Evelyn would open the windows so they could smell the cookies baking. And they did come! Last year, the party in Corsicana had more than 1,000 visitors.

Evelyn makes cookies all year long to freeze for the party in December. The Harrisons have three lots to decorate, starting in October and ending on Thanksgiving Day. There are cutout wooden figures, and countless lights to see. Santa sits on his big, red sleigh inviting children to join him to have their pictures taken.

Children can ride on the barrel train, climb on the jungle gym (painted red of course), jump in the bounce house and ride down the slide. They can sit in the bathtub the Harrison children used when they were small to take imaginary journeys.

When she could no longer find space to store enough cookies for the crowd, Evelyn searched everywhere for a popcorn making machine. When she inquired at Corsicana National Bank, she was told, “Use ours.” Neighbors help serve the cookies, nachos and popcorn and pour punch and coffee for visitors.

Neighbors drive the tractor that pulls the barrel train. A group of neighbors gathered for punch and cookies at Santa’s house in October to work together refreshing the paint on the cutout figures. Asked why they began hosting the Christmas party, Charles just smiled and said, “We just wanted to have a good time.”

Written by Joan Kilbourne