Templin Christmas Dinner 2005
The Templin Christmas Dinner - - 2005
A tradition was started a long, long time ago, in which the George and Ruby Templin family would meet for a gathering and dinner the week before Christmas every year. This started long before I came into the family and over the years we’ve never missed a Sunday having this family gathering. Now along the way some folks have quit coming and some have never missed the Christmas gathering. We should have an official name for this gathering - - something light and wonderful. So now the contest is on!
When I first started dating John Templin AKA Chick Templin, he was a young man with hair, and had just gotten out of the Army Reserves 6 months duty, so he was cute, had a California accent, slim, no gut, seemed to be a light hearted human being and had a large family. I loved large families and always wanted one as I’ve said many times before. I was also dating a boy by the name of Wilford Dungan who was in the Army and had a tour in Germany. I was a mere 15 years of age, had just arrived in Texas from Indiana, and was very lonely for my old friends and now my best friend Wilford had gone away for a year or two (can’t remember now), but he told me I could date while he was gone and I did. - - John Templin. Good-bye Wilford!
Soon John Templin and I were engaged. ENGAGED at the ripe old age of 16 or 17 (memory fails me) and I started attending the Templin Christmas dinner at the big old two story house on the corner of the main street and perhaps Parvin street. The Parvins lived next door and were lovely neighbors that were lifetime friends. Prosper was a quaint little 2 horse town, and the old house was big, drafty and and had a personality of it’s own. I remember Bessie Woods, Juanita Jenkins, Mrs. Templin, Jeri Biggs, and Myrtle sitting at the table talking while Doad and her husband, J.D. Putman were busy putting the Christmas finishing on the dinner. They loved to cook and clean up afterwards.
Old Grandma Pointer as we all fondly called her was there some years and some years she was in California. The house was alive with little children running to and fro, some shyly sitting in their parents laps. Jeri and Billy Bob Biggs had 4 little girls, Kim, Robin, Penny and Tracy, Pat O’Dell and Frank, had 3 little children, Joy, Roxie and Tim, and later one more, Jana. Ruth and Elmer had one little boy, Keith and later a little girl named Susan, Jake and Joyce had a little girl named Cynthia and much later a boy named Jim Jake. Hub was an old confirmed bachelor at that time and later married. Billy Jack and Cherry Jean had 2 children, Lanie and Bubba and later Gina. All I can remember is there were too many people and not enough air space, but still the activity was ginning. Joe, Nell and their children, Donna Kay, Paula , Michael Joe and later Lori Jan were there, R.J., Uncle Bob, Pud Jenkins, D.A. Bailey and wife Dorothy, children: Tommy, Johnny, Kenneth, Janelle and Kathy came. Cousins, friends, Peggy Templin, brother K and wife Jo Ann, and children, Kirk, Cheryl and later Choice came along. I can’t keep up with the people and when they came into this world and went out, but my point is, there has always been a Templin Christmas Dinner the Sunday before Christmas each and every year since my time with the Templins began.
This year was no different, we met again, and the ghosts of Christmases past haunted me when I begin to think of all the years we have gifted Mrs. Templin by continuing this tradition. The people are less attentive. I counted from memory how many were there and I counted at least 51, which is around ½ of the people who used to attend. Once I got home I reflected as I always do on the event.
And this memory stands out: There was a little girl in a blue knit shirt and jeans who was very interested in the food and activities. She was getting her plate and helping herself to some vittles. She was there when I arrived and still there when I was gathering my dishes to go home. Cynthia Templin-Hays and I were talking about who was there, and this and that and how we wished we could wear name badges every year so we would know who belonged to whom. She said, “For instance, do you know who that child belongs to?” I looked and I thought and thought and I went back into my memory and nowhere could I pull up the face, but then I said, “Cheryl and Jack Fraze’s little girl!” Cynthia said, “No, guess again” - - but I couldn’t figure it out. She said, “I asked her who she is and she said she lives across the street”. I wonder why her parents didn’t know where she was or worry about it, but it put me to thinking, Perhaps we were entertaining an Angel Unaware. So this year we had a treat - - an Angel at the Annual Christmas Celebration.
Hebrews 13:1-2
• "Let brotherly love continue.
• Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares".
Thank you Pat for continuing this tradition of love! Once home, I thought of all those who were not with us this Christmas and I silently gave them homage and they knew they were missed. We missed those who are still on this earth but couldn’t be there, we hope to see you next year! Too many are missing and too soon. Merry Christmas Templin family!
A tradition was started a long, long time ago, in which the George and Ruby Templin family would meet for a gathering and dinner the week before Christmas every year. This started long before I came into the family and over the years we’ve never missed a Sunday having this family gathering. Now along the way some folks have quit coming and some have never missed the Christmas gathering. We should have an official name for this gathering - - something light and wonderful. So now the contest is on!
When I first started dating John Templin AKA Chick Templin, he was a young man with hair, and had just gotten out of the Army Reserves 6 months duty, so he was cute, had a California accent, slim, no gut, seemed to be a light hearted human being and had a large family. I loved large families and always wanted one as I’ve said many times before. I was also dating a boy by the name of Wilford Dungan who was in the Army and had a tour in Germany. I was a mere 15 years of age, had just arrived in Texas from Indiana, and was very lonely for my old friends and now my best friend Wilford had gone away for a year or two (can’t remember now), but he told me I could date while he was gone and I did. - - John Templin. Good-bye Wilford!
Soon John Templin and I were engaged. ENGAGED at the ripe old age of 16 or 17 (memory fails me) and I started attending the Templin Christmas dinner at the big old two story house on the corner of the main street and perhaps Parvin street. The Parvins lived next door and were lovely neighbors that were lifetime friends. Prosper was a quaint little 2 horse town, and the old house was big, drafty and and had a personality of it’s own. I remember Bessie Woods, Juanita Jenkins, Mrs. Templin, Jeri Biggs, and Myrtle sitting at the table talking while Doad and her husband, J.D. Putman were busy putting the Christmas finishing on the dinner. They loved to cook and clean up afterwards.
Old Grandma Pointer as we all fondly called her was there some years and some years she was in California. The house was alive with little children running to and fro, some shyly sitting in their parents laps. Jeri and Billy Bob Biggs had 4 little girls, Kim, Robin, Penny and Tracy, Pat O’Dell and Frank, had 3 little children, Joy, Roxie and Tim, and later one more, Jana. Ruth and Elmer had one little boy, Keith and later a little girl named Susan, Jake and Joyce had a little girl named Cynthia and much later a boy named Jim Jake. Hub was an old confirmed bachelor at that time and later married. Billy Jack and Cherry Jean had 2 children, Lanie and Bubba and later Gina. All I can remember is there were too many people and not enough air space, but still the activity was ginning. Joe, Nell and their children, Donna Kay, Paula , Michael Joe and later Lori Jan were there, R.J., Uncle Bob, Pud Jenkins, D.A. Bailey and wife Dorothy, children: Tommy, Johnny, Kenneth, Janelle and Kathy came. Cousins, friends, Peggy Templin, brother K and wife Jo Ann, and children, Kirk, Cheryl and later Choice came along. I can’t keep up with the people and when they came into this world and went out, but my point is, there has always been a Templin Christmas Dinner the Sunday before Christmas each and every year since my time with the Templins began.
This year was no different, we met again, and the ghosts of Christmases past haunted me when I begin to think of all the years we have gifted Mrs. Templin by continuing this tradition. The people are less attentive. I counted from memory how many were there and I counted at least 51, which is around ½ of the people who used to attend. Once I got home I reflected as I always do on the event.
And this memory stands out: There was a little girl in a blue knit shirt and jeans who was very interested in the food and activities. She was getting her plate and helping herself to some vittles. She was there when I arrived and still there when I was gathering my dishes to go home. Cynthia Templin-Hays and I were talking about who was there, and this and that and how we wished we could wear name badges every year so we would know who belonged to whom. She said, “For instance, do you know who that child belongs to?” I looked and I thought and thought and I went back into my memory and nowhere could I pull up the face, but then I said, “Cheryl and Jack Fraze’s little girl!” Cynthia said, “No, guess again” - - but I couldn’t figure it out. She said, “I asked her who she is and she said she lives across the street”. I wonder why her parents didn’t know where she was or worry about it, but it put me to thinking, Perhaps we were entertaining an Angel Unaware. So this year we had a treat - - an Angel at the Annual Christmas Celebration.
Hebrews 13:1-2
• "Let brotherly love continue.
• Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares".
Thank you Pat for continuing this tradition of love! Once home, I thought of all those who were not with us this Christmas and I silently gave them homage and they knew they were missed. We missed those who are still on this earth but couldn’t be there, we hope to see you next year! Too many are missing and too soon. Merry Christmas Templin family!
posted by Sasebone at
5:32 AM
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