A story from Roberta's childhood with a happy ending contrasted with an early Arizona story with a sad ending are transcribed below. Eunice Williams was the editor of the Senior Village Newsletter.
Roberta Uible-King recalls losing herself when she was nine or ten. She had spent the holidays with her grandparents in Florida. She was allowed to walk to her cousin's house but became lost en-route. After she failed to arrive, an all hands search was started. No Roberta! The Police Department was finally called. The officers first checked the grandparent's home and there our little Roberta was. Merry Christmas!
Christmas can be sad. Eunice Williams relates events surrounding the Christmas of 1923 in Globe, Arizona. Eunice had prepared a Christmas feast with all the fancy table linens and silverware. She felt it was a shame that there was no one to share their dinner so Ike, her husband, went to the Dominion Hotel in Globe to see if there was some lonely soul who would welcome dinner and companionship on Christmas Day. In the lobby, Ike found a Mr. Lineberry a wholesale jam and jelly salesman, who the Williams had previously known in Louisiana. Mr. Lineberry gratefully accepted the invitation and his subsequent actions at the dinner table confirmed that he really appreciated the Christmas feast. He repeatedly commented concerning Eunice's outstanding meal. Later, Eunice's four-year-old daughter , Eunice Maud, performed a dance for Mr. Lineberry in the "Gloria Swanson" style accompanied by music from the Victor Victrola. Mr. Lineberry praised the young lady as a "natural born dancer" and insisted that she must have professional training. But alas, this was to be the last Christmas. Eunice Maud became ill with pneumonia and spinal meningitis and passed away in March, 1924. A sad ending for a joyous Christmas season.
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