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LiVinQ lodsy Her Christmas Wish Came True
Thursday, July 26,1979
/ ’«
.V46
i
By ELIZABETH 8TEWABT
Staff Writer
When TrlcoU Mae Rlppy Qlbson
was a smaU chUd growing up In
Upper Cleveland County, her
mother made her rag dolls and her
biggest wish at Christmas was for a
room full of beautiful baby dolls.
•‘Granny Gibson", a spry 88, has
been enjoying Christmas year-long
at her house for many years. Her
large family and friends have given
her hundreds of dolls of all
descrlptlonB and a collection of salt
and pepper shakers which number
800 and come from far-away places
all over the globe.
Mrs. Gibson’s youthful ap
pearance and keen sense of humor
belle her age, a visitor to her home
In the Lily Mill Community of Shelby
will enjoy chatting with her about
the "good ole days” and her busy life
as a senior cltlsen.
"Granny”, as she Is affecUonately
called by her friends, contributed
some of the Items to her growing
hobby, because she likes to
travel and visits a son In Florida
quite frequently. She has also
traveled with Shelby Senior Citizens
Club on outings to Georgia,
diarlotte and Wild Acres Retreat at
Little Switzerland, attended the
club's Valentine dances and tapped
her feet to the dance music. She also
busies herself with canning and
freezing vegetables from her garden
and growing flowers. She never
misses a Sunday at Landmark
Baptist Church where she Is active
In the Sunday School.
Bom and raised on a farm.
Granny Gibson recalled that her
father, the late Alexander Rlppy,
owned and operated a sawmill and
cornmlll. As a youngster, she
recalled how she used to operate a
shingle machine and leeu'ned to sew
on her mother’s knee. She attended
the old McBryer one-room
schoolhouse on Highway 18 In Shelby
and married Olen Devonla Glbs&n, a
neighbor, at the age of 18 at a
maglatrate's office In Grover. The
Glbsonr celebrated 80 years of
happy married life before he died,
retiring In the Lily Mill Community
a dozen years ago after living In
various sections of the county all
their lives.
Mrs. Gibson, the Identical twin
sister of the late Mrs. Paola
Owensby of Kings Mountain, recalls
how her father never could tell his
daughters apart. Their attending
[diyslclan. Dr. Idolit, gets the credit
for their unusual names and also
helped name some of their brothers
and sisters. Other members of her
family are her brother, Jesse Rlppy,
of Kings Mountain, and her sisters,
Mrs. Matrons BeU Patterson of
Union, S.C. and Mrs. Hattie Idella
Smith. Deceased members of her
family. Including her twin, were
Mrs. Valtlshle McCurry, Miss
Beatrix Rlppy, and GUIs Rlppy.
“Granny” Is mother of nine
children. Her family also Included 87
grandchildren, 88 great-
grsindchlldren and three great-great
grandchildren. Her children Include
Mrs. Iva Jeanette Smith of Shelby,
Mrs. Nellie Cleon Lefevers of Kings
Mountain, Roy Hartness of In-
dlantown, Fla., Hershel Odell
Gibson of West Palm Beach, Fla.,
Charles Rlon Gibson of Indlantown,
Fla., Billy Lowery Gibson of
Blacksburg, S.C., Bobby Burns
Gibson of Laurens, S.C., Mrs. Faye
Jean Williams of Rock Hill, S.C. and
James D. Gibson of Blacksburg, S.C.
Billy Gibson Is father of twin
daughters and NelUe Lefevers la
mother of twins, a boy and girl.
Dressing her large assortment of
dolls with clothes she has fashioned
herself from scrapes left over from
dresses and quilts la another hobby
of the versatile senior citizen. Since
some of the dolls sire 80 and 40 years
old, they also tell the story of
changes In dolls and clothing over he
years. The two bedrooms. In which
the dolls are displayed, are a
fairyland for youngsters who visit
and see walking dolls, talking dolls,
petite doUs, fancy doUs, rag doUs,
and hand-me down dolls from
grandchildren and great
grandchildren.
Lisa Lovelace, a great-
grsinddaughter, contributed several
dolls In the doU coUectton and said
"Granny” loves to sew and fashion
beautiful clothes, not only for the
dolls but for the whole family. Two
favorite quilts were also displayed, a
dutch girl and Chinese plate quilt,
and also her collection of hand-
painted plates.
Granny's twin sister, also a
collector, willed her salt and pepper
shaker collection. Clothespin
shakers from the mountains, pigs,
donkeys, chickens, cows, stoves,
cats, corn, squirrels, cup and
saucers, donkeys, bullfighters,
among the traditional and unusual
Items on the shelves of Granny’s
living room, spilling Into two
bedrooms and the kitchen.
D
I
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Granny Gibson with photo
of hcrseif and twin sister...
.Granny’s home is really a doll’s house
Photon by Katrena McCall