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Show Memories Of Christmastime - Minnie Jones Recalls Holidays And Fireplaces hy Helen Glissmeyer Often Sheei Staff Writer ferent name. The Chippendale room had only Chippendale furniture and the blue room was all blue. Minnie resided in the servant MURRAY. Fireplaces play a significant role in our Christmas traditions of Santa stockings and quarters with three other housemaids, a butler, footmen and yule logs. four kitchen maids. There also were Many warm memories have been stable workers and gardeners. created around a flickering fire. The Rothchilds would bring guests To one Murray resident, however, and stay for the weekend. There a fireplace is a reminder of work -- were many prominent people who hard work. stayed there and participated in Minnie Jones, 5274 Allendale Dr., varied activities, including fox spent a number of years cleaning hunts. fireplaces in England in homes of Queen Elizabeths grandmother, aristocrats. That was way back in Queen Mary, once came there and the Thirties. planted a tree, she said with a bit of She was born in Yorkshire and atEnglish accent. tended school until she was 14. We The big house was heated entirely werent trained like the kids are with g fireplaces. Cleanhere, so we went to work in the ing these fireplaces became her homes of rich people, she observed. primary job. I would stand up inside the Although it was a long time ago, she still remembers much of her life fireplace to clean it. Then Id work across the ocean. on the two dogs which were part One home stands out in her of the grate on each side. We had to memory. It was the country estate of clean and polish the inside grate, a wealthy Austrian banker, Leopold then use a burnisher, a kind of sandDeRothchild. The home was about 33 paper, to takeaway the scratches. miles out of London. Fires were lighted for guests and It was a huge house, recalls burned during the night for warmth. Mrs. Jones. Each room had a dif After people went to breakfast I went into their rooms to clean up the ashes, she says. Contrary to some movie and TV stories, the servants did not speak to the owners or their guests. They kept to their own quarters and did their work unobtrusively. During weekends they would get up at 4 a.m. and wouldnt be through until 10 at night. On Saturday night we would go to "We had some fun days but mostly we worked like the devil. Christmas was just like any other day. We didn't go home for the holiday." Minnie Jones coal-burnin- dances at the village hall. We could go after 10 if we wouldnt sleep in the years she knitted many sweaters her children. for next morning, she said. Most of the people at the dances worked for the Rothchilds. During the week Mrs. Jones worked until 5 p.m. and was off every other night. Sometimes she went to a show downtown. We had some fun days but mostly we worked like the devil, Mrs. Christmas was Jones observed. just like any other day. We didnt go home for the holiday. During World War II as a widow with two girls she married Ward Jones, an American G. I. She remained two years in England, where she gave birth to a son. In 1946 the family came to Murray, Mr. Jones home town. Mrs. Jones has returned to her native country four times and still thinks it is a beautiful place. Besides her three children, she has 14 grandchildren and five She spent some of her free time knitting. She had learned to knit when she was five years of age, using a pair of wooden needles and cotton yarn to make dish cloths. In later She plans to spend a rather quiet Christmas this year. One thing for sure, a fireplace will not be part of her celebration; she doesnt have Call Little Caesars: We'll one. handle any size party. f If ft A GLANCE BACK . . . For Minnie Jones, the holiday season brings to mind many experiences of decades ago in her native England. OPEN 2450 So. 3200 W. 972 - 5090 West Volley 9 to 5:30 Sat., 12 to 5 Mon.-Fri- ., HOLIDAY HOUSE PLANT 1822 W. 12600 S. 880 .5900 So. (VINE STREET) 265-447- TWO I MEDIUM j PIZZAS f I POINSETTIAS $4 VA" 65 PLANTS 4" 6" PLANTS 8" PLANTS With Cheese and any 2 items 3950 W. 5400 S. 957-705- 7800 SOUTH STATE 562-033- 0 7 --- FOUR LARGE PIZZAS With Cheese and any 2 items toff,. BUY ANY SIZE PIZZA AND GET AN IDENTICAL PIZZA PLANTS $695 Tax With Coupon $2 Plu ....... $1550andup , Plu Tax With Cour. GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE BASKETS SAUCEkS OTHER ACCESSORIES Expire Jan. 15, 1987 G1 0 Expire Jan 15, 1987 G2 Expire Jan. 15. 1987 GS TWO LARGE PIZZAS a j |