McElroy Musings: Margaret Viola Barr: 2/3/1912

On February 3, 1912, a bouncing baby girl was ushered into the world in Pennsylvania, daughter of a first-generation German coal miner and his wife. With no digital camera or Facebook to share the news, her birth was marked with a simple, misspelled birth certificate. And so, in that inauspicious manner, Margaret Viola Dunkel started what proved to be a very long and blessed life.

The world Margaret was born into was very different from the world of today. While the Facebook and digital camera remark may seem facetious, there are far more significant changes that she saw. Ford hadn't yet automated his assembly line, modern refrigerators had yet to be invented (let alone microwave ovens) and telephones were still in their infancy. Archduke Ferdinand was alive, as was Nicholas II of Russia. Iraq and Afghanistan did not exist (as sovereign states) nor did the United States Air Force. Movies were still colorless and voiceless and viewable only in a theater.

On that day in 1912, who could foresee all that Margaret had in store for her? Meeting and marrying Kenneth Thayer Barr. Traveling cross-country to live in Michigan, California, Colorado and elsewhere. Becoming a mother to Edward, Charles, Marlene, Carolyn and Robert. Watching them give her 9 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren (assuming I haven't missed one . . . ). And while she couldn't know all the joys and heartaches she had in store, she attacked her life with gusto and with grace, loving her Lord until the end. Today, at 9:25 am CST, Margaret Barr said goodbye to her long life here and hello to her eternal life with Christ.

I have many stories of my great-grandmother Margaret - some flattering, some . . . not! Isn't that the truth for all of us! The story I want to share today is not directly about her, but about her Christmas tree - seems apropos since the Christmas season is almost (but not quite - I refuse to begin it until the day after Thanksgiving!) here.

For many years, my grandmother lived in a seniors' apartment building in Englewood, CO. A tiny little one-bedroom place, it was still comfortably outfitted and we often visited her when we went to Denver to see family. She always decorated for Christmas and I remember being intrigued by her miniature fake Christmas tree. The space was too small, of course, for some 8-ft behemoth so she had a little 4-ft bundle of cheer she set up every December.

At some point when I was in college she moved in with my grandparents - at over 90 years old, they felt it was best if she lived with someone! She divvied up many of her belongs amongst the local family and I was the happy recipient of the little tree and the ornaments to go with it. I never used the tree in college - a roommate had come with a full-sized tree and all my ornaments were decorating the tree at home (still my parents' house). But in 2005 I left the nest completely and made the big move to southeast Texas. I was 1800 miles from home, no family close by and my one friend who had moved to room with me quickly left due to medical issues. Making friends was not as easy as it had been in college and by the time Christmas rolled around, I was one lonely girl. But, even though the 60 deg F did not scream "Christmas", I decided to make the effort with the few decorations I had. Up went the tree, balanced precariously on a packing box. On went the 100+ ornaments I had acquired over the years, lovingly purchased or handmade for me. A final touch with a string of lights and my Charlie Brown tree was ready to go. While nothing compared to the elaborate decorations I was used to, that tree was my little taste of home for all of December.

In the years since, that little tree has brought Christmas cheer to my first house, to the many friends I did end up making in SETX and inviting over for holiday parties and to Michael's and my first Christmas together. This year, hopefully, it will be bringing cheer to a new set of eyes, as we finally purchased a full-sized tree and donated the little one. I kept the ornaments, though, and this year, like every year, they will be lovingly unpacked and proudly displayed, a small memento of the loving and lovely woman that was (and is, in heaven) my Grandma Margaret.