Hometown Rankin - December 2015 & January 2016
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Do you have a favorite Christmas memory<br />
≤. from your childhood?<br />
Because my dad was a petroleum engineer, he was often transferred to<br />
new locations. From kindergarten through the 12th grade, I was in 10<br />
different schools in 4 states. Every Christmas was special because we<br />
were together as a family.<br />
What’s your favorite part of Christmas?<br />
≤.<br />
It’s always Christmas Eve! That’s when Sidney prepares an<br />
amazing dinner and family comes over.<br />
Tell us your wait-for-it-all-year-long Christmas<br />
≤. dessert or candy.<br />
My mother-in-law, Marjorie Hancock, every Christmas since Sidney<br />
and I started dating in 1974, has given me a box of Pangburn’s<br />
Millionaires – rich milk chocolate covered pecans with caramel.<br />
And no, I don’t share them!<br />
Can you remember a “challenging” Christmas?<br />
≤.<br />
I made the mistake of trying to put together a pirate ship for<br />
Livingston that said “some assembly required”. Let’s just say that by<br />
about 3 a.m. no further assembly was required and<br />
Livingston never received a pirate ship.<br />
What’s your favorite Christmas<br />
≤. movie?<br />
Without question, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is my<br />
favorite. I have a movie poster in my DC office<br />
that was signed by Jimmy Stewart and a small<br />
plaque that says “It’s a Wonderful Life” on my desk.<br />
It’s a reminder of how we all impact one another<br />
and how every life is special.<br />
Who are some of your past family members<br />
≤. that bring warm Christmas thoughts and why?<br />
I really miss my dad, Doug Harper, who died over 20 years ago. He<br />
was only 67, but I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Christmas of 1945.<br />
He was a gunner on a B-17 in WWII and was assigned to Columbus<br />
AFB right after the war. My mom, Lois Harper, lived just up the road<br />
in Lackey, and some of her friends told her she should go to the<br />
Christmas dance at the base but she didn’t have a dress. Two of her<br />
brothers put their money together, bought her a dress, she went to the<br />
dance, met my dad, and they got married 3 months later. He always<br />
made Christmas special and he was a year-round encourager.<br />
28 • <strong>December</strong> <strong>2015</strong>/<strong>January</strong> <strong>2016</strong>
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