It is Wednesday and the first day of winter, but more than that, it’s time for "What's in the Attic with Jim?"
Do you know about the tradition of the tree at Christ Episcopal Church? Here is an excerpt from the Friday, December 12, 1958, New Bern Mirror about one of New Bern's most beloved citizens.
"Anyone who had ever had Miss Mollie Heath as a 1st grade teacher will agree that this grand little lady embodied the true spirit of Christmas.
Gentle and young at heart, she was spritely as one of Santa’s prankish helpers. To the countless number of children who passed through her classroom, she was the most wonderful somebody this side of Heaven. They haven’t forgotten her either or changed their minds in the years when she went to meet her maker.
That’s why the lights on her Christmas tree, at the corner of Middle and Pollock, shine with a brightness surpassing all the other nights in New Bern’s business section.
A living memorial such as this on the grounds of Christ Episcopal Church is particularly appropriate for Miss Mollie. So if you are a child, or a child grown up, pause before Miss Mollie’s Christmas tree, and bless her memory. She was what Christmas was or should be."
Miss Mary Hall Heath, known by most as Miss Mollie, was a much revered first-grade teacher. She was so respected and loved by her students and the community that a special tree was planted in her honor and memory in the Christ Church yard — the Molly Heath Tree.
Wouldn't we all like to be remembered in this way?