Christmas Happiness: Remembering a persuasive son
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, December 4, 2018
- Illustration by Mark Brincefield.
SALISBURY — Sue and Sturges Bryan have been making donations to the Christmas Happiness Fund in memory of their parents and her brother for several years.
Last year, they added another name to their memorial donations — younger son Jim, who died suddenly of a heart attack in the summer of 2017. He was 49 and had been living in Boca Raton, Florida.
Sue remembers Jim going around the neighborhood to sell candy for North Rowan High School, where she taught, even though he wasn’t a student there.
Jim sold a lot of candy.
“He could probably sell ice to Eskimos,” Sue says.
Jim graduated from Camden Military Academy and worked in several fields including — of course — sales. He came home just about every Christmas, Sue says.
The Bryans’ generous gifts help raise today’s Christmas Happiness total to $5,850.
With Christmas just three weeks away, the fund is running slightly behind where it was a year ago at this time. Your donation could make the difference for a child whose family cannot afford extras like Christmas gifts.
Contributions to the Christmas Happiness Fund may be delivered to the Salisbury Post, 131 W. Innes St., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays or mailed to Salisbury Post Christmas Happiness Fund, P.O. Box 4639, Salisbury, NC 28145-4639. Please make checks payable to Christmas Happiness and indicate how you want your donation listed.
Today’s contributions are:
In loving memory of L. Kenneth Beck by Gail Beck, $100
In memory of Jack and Willie Alexander and Glenn and Maggie Holshouser by James, Sylvia and Pam Alexander, $25
In memory of Gene Fleming, Tony Fleming, Cliff Mize, Sylvia Mize Young and Jeff Mize — I love you — by Ruth Fleming and in honor of Sonny and Kay Miller, Jim and Charlene Bollinger and Gale Sales by Ruth Fleming, $100
In honor of my wonderful family and in memory of my husband, Col. Tommy Trexler, by Frances Trexler, $500
In honor of our friendship by Lonzo, Martha, Terry and Beth, $50
In memory of Mama Bettie Fesperman by grandchildren and one great-grandchild, Harley Gagnier, Siera Fesperman, Ethan Fesperman, David Graham and Altas Gagnier by Harold Fesperman, $100
In memory of Kim Holshouser by Pat and Charles Martell, $100
Anonymous, $100
In thanksgiving for my dear husband, Art, by Lynn Bolick, $300
Rowan Doll Society, $50
In honor of St. John’s pastors and staff by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Loeblein, $100
In memory of Gladys VanPoole by Becky Auten, Kevin, Kelly and Kim, $50
In memory of Carol L. King by Georgette and Conan Thompson, $150
In lieu of Christmas cards to family and friends by Rick and Carol Leonard, $100
Anonymous, $25
Ms. Shirley Hurrell, $50
In honor of our granddaughters, Madison Long, Calleigh and Skylar Reavis, by Fred and Mary Long III, $75
In honor of our grandchildren by Jim and Barbara Norman, $100
In loving memory of Jim, Sue and Mac Sample and Annette and H.B. Bryan by Sue and Sturges Bryan, $100
In loving memory of our son Jim Bryan by Sue and Sturges Bryan, $100
In memory of Ott Pinkston Sr. and Edna Casper Pinkston by Dorothy Pinkston Atkinson, $50
In honor of Ott Pinkston Jr. and Julie S. Pinkston by Dorothy Pinkston Atkinson, $50
Running total, $5850.00
