Christmas Bike

This email was sent by mother in December of 2001.  My father was the eldest son in a loving family of a sharecropper.  As prices and inflation goes, that bike cost this family a mint.  I remember him telling us that the handlebars of this bike fell off and he continued to ride it, using a broom in place of the handlebars. 

Jesse has been having a lot of fun this Christmas. How many of you remember him talking about THE Christmas for him as a young person?

He was 12 and had wanted a bike for a long time. Of course he was old enough to know how tough things were in 1934. There were already 5 children in the family and he knew how little tobacco had sold for so he knew what Christmas would be like, but lo and behold he got that bike! He says he took it to bed


with him or at least to where he could touch it all night. It never was left outside and he wore it out!!


He couldn't wait for Al to want a bike. Did he get you one before you even wanted one Al? I know he got you a train before you were old enough.


Anyway he bought another bike this Christmas.


He talked to several agencies doing things for children and decided want he wanted to do and then bought it and made sure it was a name bike not just any old bike and he hopes some child will be as surprised as he was.

By the way he found out later that that bike of his cost $30.00 and was paid for out of 2 tobacco crops. The only interest paid was in the form of vegetables his father gave to merchants.

I hope your giving will give you as much happiness as his giving has given him this Christmas.