Christmas come and gone, now for 2013

Another Christmas has come and gone and soon 2013 will be here.  Here at the Harpers we had a wonderful Christmas day, although it was very bittersweet, as you can imagine.   All of our family including Mama and Daddy were here for our traditional Christmas breakfast, which every one of the grandchildren made it clear that they never want that to change!  After such a breakfast we don't do lunch, but we all gathered back here again for a Christmas supper with Marty and Connie Wilson joining us.  Bertie and Leon stayed home with their brood in Tennessee and Tim, Cathy, and Kacey stayed at their home in Roswell to be with Cathy's mother, Pat, with other of Cathy's family from Louisiana due to come in the day after Christmas.  I hope all of you will have a wonderful New Year.

Luan Hardman is recuperating nicely after having a partial knee replacement last week.  Hattie Bonner is home after having to spend one night in the hospital recently and is doing good.  Nancy Welch was also able to come right before Christmas where she is recuperating from a stroke.  Dean Strange got to spend Christmas at home but is now a patient at St. Joseph's in Atlanta.  We pray all of these people have a speedy recovery.

We extend our sympathy to the family of Jack Stanley of Conyers who passed away last Saturday, the 22.  Jack was married to the former Beatrice Brewer, daughter of the late Gordon and Mary Alice Brewer of Buckhead and was also the brother-in-law to Billy Brewer and Bobby Brewer of Madison.  Jack had been in declining health for some time.  Funeral services were held at Carter Funeral Home here in Madison last Wednesday with the burial at the Bethany Baptist Church cemetery.
The Cathey family had their annual family Christmas get-together at the Tommy Cathey's home on last Sunday, the 23, where Santa Claus even made an appearance to make sure he had all the children's lists right.

Joann and Jack Cathey celebrated Christmas at their home last Saturday night with the Chuck Smiths of West Point and Jan Knight and her family from Eatonton.

Some members of the Bethany Church family delivered fruit baskets to some shut-ins of the community during the past week to spread some Christmas cheer.  Jack and Joann Cathey delivered one to Adele Newell in Greensboro who is a resident of the Willow Run Assisted Living facility there and enjoyed a visit with her.  Her son, John Newell and his wife, Dee who are missionaries in the Kentucky mountains will be here this weekend visiting his mother and other family members and John will be speaking on Sunday night at Bethany.

Sally and Tony Stephens hosted the Wade family Christmas at their home on Christmas day with a houseful of relatives and friends.  Sandra and Jerry Brown, Brad and Shannon Thornton along with Shannon's mother and father from Social Circle, Laurie, Chick, Dillon, and Wade Lewis, Ginny, Joe, Sarah, and Will Gregg from Monroe,  Richie Davis with his children and grandchildren, Claudia, Katrina, and Samantha Davis of Monroe, Josh Stephens of Atlanta, Alicia Stephens, Neta Peppers, and of course, Harriette Wade who celebrated her 93rd Christmas with family.  On Christmas night, Sally and Tony's family joined Tony's daughter, Jenny Needham and her family up in the Centenniel community for Christmas with them.  On Christmas Eve, Jane Phelps and Betty Strickland came over for the Stephens family Christmas which also included Aunt Harriette.  They have had a  busy Christmas!
Jessica Bruce, who is a Sgt. with the Atlanta Police Dept. was home for a few days to visit with her parents, the Larry Bruces during the Christmas holidays.

Carolyn and Roger Bruce, Bob Moorhead and Sherrie Bruce traveled to Kansas where they spent the Christmas holidays with Trey Bruce who is stationed there with the United States Army.
Jack and Karen Lindsey enjoyed Christmas at their home here on Baldwin Dairy Road with their boys, Jake, Matt, Carey, and Casey along with Karen's parents, Marge and Carey Williams of Greensboro.
Don and Carol Gilbert with their three boys visited Raymond and Joan Gilbert and the Patrick Cooks over the Christmas weekend.

Millie Carpenter hosted the Carpenter family Christmas at her house on Old Buckhead Road on Christmas Eve.  The main course was Oyster Stew, an old family tradition, along with a large array of other dishes.

Dan and Sally Porter enjoyed having the Jim Porters of Tennessee, the Richard Carvers of Perry, Scott and Madeline Porter and Katie Seiger with them for their family Christmas. On Monday all of them went to Mary Ainslie's house for the Ainslie family Christmas tree celebration.  Their Christmas was bittersweet also, since Mr. Ainslie passed away earlier this year.

The flowers at Bethany Sunday were placed in memory of Ben Cronic who passed away one year ago on Christmas Day.  Janice Cronic, Leann and John Floyd of Macon, and Bethany, Jeff, and Cameron Bruce all attended the morning services at Bethany.

April Bone hosted the Bone family Christmas one night last week and then again on Christmas Day, she hosted the Crew family Christmas at her home, the Crew place, which of course she had decorated to every jot and tittle with all sorts of Christmas decorations.  This house was really beautiful to drive by at night to see everything, even the outbuildings lit up with Christmas lights.

Janice and Chuck Phillipi celebrated Christmas with their children and grandchildren last Sunday.  Steve and Sarah Nell Craig went to Acworth on Saturday where they had Christmas with their daughter, Stephanie and Aaron Kenney and girls.  On Christmas Day, they all visited their mother, Nell Porter at The Madison House.

Mary and Frank Eaton had all their children and grandchildren with them for Christmas.  The Maddoxs from Cleveland, Tenn., Curtis and Joyce Eaton of Rome, and the Franklin Eatons of Flowery Branch.  Martha, Sandy, Mary Martha, and Matthew spent last week in New York City where they enjoyed seeing all the decorations, ice skating in Central Park, saw the Rockettes, saw Ground Zero, did lots of shopping and lots of walking.  They say it was absolutely beautiful with all the lights and decorations.
Annette Eaton is visiting her brother Bruce's daughter and her family, Evelyn Bickle in Ottawa, Canada.  She went with  Nan Eaton and her nephew, Curt Eaton of Augusta.

Rev. Mike Ventrello and his family enjoyed spending Christmas at his sister’s in Greenville, SC.  His parents from Scotland are also visiting here in the US and plan on coming on down to Georgia to be with their son and his family for a visit here before returning.