Walking My Family Line

This is a glimpse into one Yerington girl’s many Christmases at her grandmother’s house. I am sure you all had similar experiences as a child, but I can only tell you about mine. So please feel free to share your childhood Christmas experiences and traditions. I very much enjoy hearing how others celebrated Christmas.

The Trip to Granna’s House

We always decorated a tree at our Yerington house and had all our gifts under, it but come Christmas Eve day, we would load all the gifts into Mom’s station wagon and head for Granna’s house in Reno. This was the most exciting trip of the year. We would sing Christmas carols the whole hour and a half ride. Sometimes we would make it in an hour if Mom was running late as there was no speed limit in Nevada in those days. As soon as we left Fernley, we had a contest to see who could see Reno’s lights first. Many times we were fooled and disappointed by the lights of the power plant halfway between Fernley and Reno. One year there was a flood during the polio epidemic and we had to turn around and go back home. This was the only time we missed spending Christmas at Granna’s house and we were heartbroken. We did make it to Granna’s a week later, but it wasn’t the same.

Granna’s house 445 Thoma Street, Reno, Nevada

Granna’s house was a 1930’s two-bedroom house with a den and had a full basement. She bought it in 1936 when her husband died and they had to sell their dairy ranch in Mason Valley. She alway decorated for every season, but Christmas was her speciality. Everything about her home emanated with love and Christmas cheer.

Granna in front of one of her many floor to ceiling Christmas trees dressed in her usual “mumu”.

The Tree and Gifts

Granna always had a floor to ceiling Christmas tree fully decorated positioned in her front living room window for all to see. Since all the aunts, uncles and cousins brought their presents to be opened on Christmas Day, the gifts on some years would take up almost a third of her living room floor. This large display of gifts made for a magical display.

The gifts under Granna’s tree were abundant.

1966 Christmas gifts under Granna’s tree

Me with my brothers Danny and David practicing for our “night before Christmas” caroling which we did in a two block area around Granna’s house on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Dinner: The menu for Christmas Eve was simple, but delicious. Homemade ravioli and garlic bread with a tossed green salad. Since my grandmother had an Irish-Jewish background, I do not know where she learned how to make Italian ravioli. I suspect in Mason Valley from the many Italian ranchers in the valley.

Christmas Eve Caroling: It was our custom to go Christmas caroling with our cousins on Christmas Eve around a two block area of my grandmother's house. We had so much fun and occasionally some appreciative home owner would give us a little monetary gift which made it even more rewarding.

Midnight Mass: There was a little Catholic Church not far from my grandmothers that held a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. We would all try to stay awake so we could go but more times as not would fall asleep before the midnight hour.

The Great Sleep-Over: Granna usually had between 15 to 20 overnight guest on Christmas Eve. She would rent roll-a-way beds and place them all over her large basement. It was like a dormitory with aunts, uncles, cousins and babies all sleeping in one large room. The basement had no heat so once you got tucked in, you did not want to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom because it was so cold.

My mother Clara Barnett taking pictures of the relatives with cousin Mike McGee seated with his mother and father Uncle Charles and Aunt Jerry. (Dec 1964)

Christmas Day

Opening Gifts: First thing Christmas morning the uncles started passing out gifts, but no one could open them until all gifts were dispersed. It was our family tradition that we watched each person open their gifts starting with the youngest and working their way up to Granna who was the oldest. This increased the anticipation of what was in your gifts, but you had the chance to admire everyone else's gifts.

Cousins Bart McGee and Jack McGee admiring the presents and anxiously waiting to open them.

Cousin Jack McGee, Uncle Charles McGee, Aunt Anna Lee McGee, & Aunt Jerry McGee. I think the child on Aunt Jerry’s lap was one of cousin Jimmy Mover’s children.

At Granna’s all gifts were passed out before any gifts were opened. Then gifts were opened one person at a time starting with the youngest.

Brother Danny Barnett opening gifts as Aunt Connie watches and waits her turn.

My turn. My sister Lexie approves this gift.

Cousin Jack McGee scratches his back while watching Granna opening her gifts.

My daughter Shannon with Granna in the background under a stack of presents.

Christmas Dinner: Uncle Charles McGee, Granna, and sister, Lexie at head of table.

Christmas Breakfast: After opening the gifts we were all starving so Granna would make us German Pancakes (which I believe she learned to make from her Jewish mother), bacon, sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, toast and jelly and orange juice and coffee. This was a team effort with Granna making the pancakes, Aunt Anna Lee buttering them, and me or Aunt Jerry sprinkling them with sugar.

Christmas Dinner: Christmas dinner at Granna’s was a royal thing. We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, steamed green beans, tossed salad, some exotic jello salad, deviled eggs, and lots of relish dishes, cranberry sauce, and homemade rolls with real butter. For dessert we had pies made by Aunt Connie and homemade steamed plum pudding made by Granna with assorted Christmas candies.

Granna did not have a dishwasher but all the girls and aunts made quick work of cleaning up with one clearing the dishes, one putting the food up, one washing, one drying, and one putting the dishes away. As we worked we would sing Christmas carols and joke with each other which made the work seem fun.

Christmas Dinner: My mother, Clara Barnett, at other end of table.

Christmas Dinner: Head of Uncle Jack McGee, me, cousin Jackie McGee, Aunt Jerry McGee, Uncle Charles McGee, and Granna

Christmas Dinner: Cousin Bart McGee, brother Danny Barnett, cousin Mike McGee, cousin Holly McGee, and Uncle Jack McGee at the head of the table.

Christmas Dinner: Aunt Anna Lee McGee, brother David Barnett and Linda (his second wife), daughter Shannon Brown. Aunt Connie McGee, cousin Jackie McGee, brother Dan’s wife Robin Barnett, Uncle Jack McGee, Granna, Me.(left to right around the table)

Christmas Dinner: Granna, my daughter, Shannon Brown, Me, cousin Holly McGee, brother David Barnett, cousin Diana McGee

Christmas Dinner: Granna with my daughter, Shannon Brown (one of my favorite pictures)

Playing in Grandma's kitchen cousin Bart McGee and brother David Barnett with cousins Mike McGee, Holly McGee, and Jimmy and Jolene Moyer in the background.

David John Barnett

(30 Jul 1951 in Reno, Nevada - 9 Jul 2008 in Richmond,California)

(Note: This is not complete. I still have more documents & pictures & stories that I would like to post and will add them to this, as I find them. If any of you have pictures, stories or memories about David that you would like to share, please email (shanchere@gmail.com) them to me so I can add them. Thanks.)

My Brother

1951 Jul 30 Birth Reno, Washoe, Nevada

Nevada State Journal, 3 Aug 1951, Fri, Page 10

1952

1955

Lexie Lee Baker, David, Danny & Chere

1957

David watering lawn, Main Street house, Yerington, NV

Lexie, David, Velma, babysitter, & her son, Joey at Main Street House, Yerington, NV

Velma was one of the last babysitters we had. At age nine, I convinced my mom that Dan and I could take care of the younger kids. I was sick of babysitters. I remember our first day of babysitting, Dan and I made a box cake. We were so proud of ourselves.

David was a handful He was hyperactive and couldn’t sit still. He was also passive aggressive. No matter what you did to keep him from playing in the street failed. I tried all the persuasions to get him to behave - time outs, standing in the corner, yelling, spanking, bribery, crying - nothing worked. Five minutes later, horns would be honking for him to get out of the street. He could be very stubborn.

David loved to tease people. The problem is he didn’t know when to stop. He would tease you until you were in tears or pulling your hair out. He had a wonderful smile with dimples. He received his dimples by teasing a dog & pulling on its tail when he was four years old. After the bite wounds healed he was left with permanent dimples.

Danny, David, Lexie, Chere (in back) Main Street house, Yerington, NV

David holding new puppy, backyard of Main Street house, Yerington, NV

David always loved dogs. He had a dog named “Sorry”, a black cocker spaniel, which was his fishing partner. Sadly, Sorry was poisoned by the towns dog poisoner. David was hysterical over Sorry’s death and went running screaming down Main Street. In his later years, he had four dogs, a mixed, a German Shepherd, & two Great Danes. Since David seldom weighed more than 135 pounds it was a sight to watch him walking his dogs.

David, Lexie, Danny, Chere (in back), Father Flyhive at Mason Bridge, Mason, NV

Father Flahive would often come by and take our family for rides. This afternoon we were at the bridge in Mason (about three miles from Yerington.) He was full of fun. Sometimes he would take both hands off the steering wheel and steer with his knees. We, however, did not know he was knee steering, and would yell in fright. We could never figure out how he drove with no hands - it must be a miracle we concluded.

Father Flahive would also often come for dinner regularly. Fond memories of him sitting at the kitchen table and playing his fiddle as we all danced around to the music. A favorite of the boys was “Pop Goes The Weasel” where the boys would strip off their shirts and throw them in the air yelling “pop goes the weasel” in glee.

1958

David, 7 years old

1959

David, 8 years old

1960

David, 9 years old

David in backyard of West Street house

1961

Paper-cut portrait of David during our Disneyland trip and visit to see our father

In 1961, Mom took our family and Maxine Hansen, her secretary’s family to Disneyland. Maxine had five children and Mom had four. All eleven of us squeezed into Mom’s station wagon and off we went to Anaheim, CA. Mom had two purposes in mind. She also was taking us to see our father, Barney, in

Los Angeles, whom we had not seen since I was 3 years old. I had a few memories, but the boys did not have any memory of him. They were excited and curious about him. He was in poor health although only 54 years old. He had had a heart attack and a stroke. I sensed Mom did not think he had long for this world and wanted her children to know their father.

The visit with him was exciting. He had gifts and snacks for all of us. In later years David disclosed to me that Barney had said something to him that hurt him deeply and he was less than fond of his father. This saddened me, because if anyone need the support of his father it was David.

The Disneyland part of the trip was so much fun particularly for David. His hyperactivity sent him running ahead of our group. Most of the day was spent looking for David. Finally in pure desperation, Mom upon finding him for the sixth time demanded “Take off your belt!” All of us kids became wide eyed fearing he was going to get the beating of his life. To our surprise, Mom slid the belt through one of his pants loop and made a leash. “I am not going to lose you another time today” Mom told him. She held to her word as she kept him on the leash until we left the park. Of course this was pure torture for a hyperactive kid and I’m sure he would have rather taken a whipping.

The one and only letter between David and his father. (from Kentucky, 1961)

1962

Bart McGee (David’s cousin) & David (11 years old)

David and Bart weren't just cousins. They were best friends, partners in crime, and a daredevil duo. If there was trouble to be found these two would find it. One time when exploring the desert above Weed Heights, they came across a box of dynamite near an abandoned mine. They thought it would be great fun to blow up things, so over a period of months every time they discovered an abandoned house or shack, out came the dynamite. Eventually, Bart’s family moved to Reno and Bart took the remaining dynamite with him and put it the basement of their new house. His father accidently discovered it one day and became so frightened he call the bomb squad to come and remove it. Apparently, old dynamite is very unstable and can explode very easily. This was something the boys didn’t know by my uncle did since he had worked in mines and was a WWII veteran. Both David and Bart loved to live on the adventure and daredevil experiences.

1963

David (age 12) was excited about his drum.

He loved the drums and had a full set in his house all of his life. He carried a set of drumsticks in his back pocket most of the time. He also played the trumpet. He had a good voice and sang at his brother Dan’s wedding. I believe he and Dan inherited their musical talent from their Dad, who played the clarinet & saxophone. (In front of West Street house)

1965

David, age 13

Missey Sherman, David, Carolyn Hansen
8th Grade Graduation

David & Carolyn Hansen
8th Grade Graduation

1966

David in front yard of West Street house. The McGowan house in background.

Boys School

1966

David as a Freshman at Yerington High School (1966)

1967

Christmas dinner at Granna’s house, Reno, NV, (On right, Diana McGee, Chere Barnett, & Holly McGee)

David trying to look hoodsie with his friends shortly before entering the Army

1968 -1970 Army & Vietnam War

Pvt. David John Barnett

1971 Sep 26 Age: 20 Marriage to Sheri Lynn Whitney, Yerington,
Nevada

Clara Bell McGee (David’s grandmother), David, Sheri, Sheri’s grandmother and great grandmother at the wedding reception

Clara M Barnett (David’s mom), David, Sheri, Sheri & Floyd Whitney (Sheri’s parents) at the wedding reception

Hawthorne Nasal Base

Costa Mesa

Radio Disk Jocky

Office Equipment

Head Hunter

Telemarketer

David with daughters, Tanya & Heather, Yerington, NV

1983 Jul 28 Age: 31 Marriage to Linda D Kegney Reno, Nevada

At a family reunion, Dolly McGee, Linda Kegney, Diana McGee, Robin Barnett, Connie McGee, Clara Barnett

At a family reunion, Holly McGee, David Barnett, Dan Barnett, Jay Brown

1985 Age: 34 445 Thoma Street, Reno, Nevada

1985

Ink drawing of David when he was a radio disc jockey

David giving his daughter, Tanya a hug

Visiting Chere in Marina, CA 1985

Tana Relationship

Tana & David at San Juan Bautista day trip, while visiting Chere in Seaside, CA 1988

Kola Waters
Barnett Beverage

Reno House

Tanya’s Graduation (Dayton, NV)

David, Tanya, Heather, and Sheri at Tanya’s High School Graduation, Dayton, NV

Tanya and Heather, David’s two daughters, at Tanya’s High School Graduation, Dayton, NV

Tanya’s Wedding (Carson City, NV)

David walking his daughter, Tanya, down the aisle.

Sheri (Tanya’s mom), Tanya, Earl Willey and David

Tanya Barnett & Earl Willey Wedding

(Left to Right: Sheri Whitney (Tanya’s maternal grandmother), Sheri Whitney Barnett (David’s first wife & Tanya’s mother), Tanya & Earl, David, Chere (Barnett) Brown (David’s sister), Front: Shannon Ivy Brown, (niece, Chere Brown’s daughter), Clara McGee Barnett (David’s mother). Carson City, Nevada (1997)

Russia