Still a Blessing: Golden siblings reflect on Empty Stocking Fund’s impact in its 107th year

Published 11:30 am Wednesday, December 8, 2021

When 93-year-old and 95-year-old siblings Hazel (Sawyer Hopkin) Redmon and John “Dick” Sawyer reminisce on their upbringing, the one thing that stands out the most is how the annual Empty Stocking Fund blessed them.

It was their only source for new shoes every Christmas throughout their childhood.

“Of course what the Empty Stocking Fund did for us was, my mother became a widow with four children when she was 23 years old, and the oldest child was 5 and a half years old and the youngest one was 6 months,” Sawyer shared with the News Messenger.

“Of course this was 1932 during the Depression, and when Christmastime came, my mother would see that we go down to the Empty Stocking Fund and we’d get a new pair of shoes,” he said. “It meant so much to us primarily because of the fact that we needed them, naturally; and secondly, that somebody would care that much about you through that time. And since I’ve been grown, I’ve supported (it).”

Now, in its 107th year, the Empty Stocking Fund is still being a blessing to underserved Harrison County children, providing them with a want, a need and some more Christmas surprises in between.

“Everything we have goes to our kids,” said longtime director Lea McGee.

Sawyer and his sister, Ms. Redmon, dropped by the Empty Stocking Fund office last Friday to tell the director just how significant the charity was to their family, growing up with a widowed young mother who strived diligently to raise her children during the Great Depression era.

“My mother was a widow. I was about 10 when she remarried, but things still were not all that good for us; and down through the years we had always looked at Empty Stocking Fund as being a place where we could have something new, something that was needed, of course,” said Sawyer, 95.

“We knew every winter we were going to have shoes because Mr. Selcer was going to make sure we did,” added Ms. Redmon, 93.

Noting how resourceful their mother was, Sawyer described how she would sew the sole of the shoes whenever they would tatter.

“My mother was one who was very resourceful; she had to be in order to take care of her children,” said Sawyer. “The shoes would have the soles …sometimes would come off, come apart. She had ways of putting them back together.”

Ms. Redmon recalls their mother even using the wire from a fence to hold the shoes together, until it was time to get new ones from the Empty Stocking Fund when the next Christmas season rolled around.

“She would take a piece of wire (off of the fence) and come back and wire (the shoes),” Ms. Redmon said.

Their mother was also ingenious in the way she sized her children’s feet, using just paper and pencil to trace them as a blueprint.

“She’d get some paper and we’d have to put our foot down and she’d trace all around our foot and that’s how they knew what size shoe to put on,” Ms. Redmon recalled.

And although the Sawyer family saw hardship, having to witness the Great Depression and see both parents die at a young age, they still have many cherished memories, mainly surrounding their mother’s relationship with the Empty Stocking Fund.

“The amazing thing in our family is that mother had four children that were Sawyers. Both (parents) were 39 when they died. All four of her children were able to reach past 80. I had a good life,” said Sawyer. “My mother had prepared us. She laid the foundation. And again, her coming to the Empty Stocking Fund, to me, was simply another way she said: ‘I’m going to take care of my children.’”

With tears in her eyes, McGee told the siblings just how much their sentiments meant to her as the current chairperson of the charity.

“I appreciate that,” she told them. “That’s why we do what we do; and that’s why one of the main reasons I want these children to have their needs is because that’s what they need, and the rest is just ruffles and fluff; but to make sure they have their need is so important to me.”

In a time where so many take things for granted these days, McGee said it’s gratifying to know that there are people that are appreciative of the benevolence.

“It’s so nice to hear a positive (sentiment) in this world today” she said as she thanked the golden siblings for sharing their story.

History

The Empty Stocking Fund was founded back in 1914 to provide toys and gifts to underprivileged children in the county for Christmas. The charity was started by Elizabeth Scully, a grocer’s daughter, after noticing how many families came in the store in need of assistance.

The tradition was then carried on by Father Henry Selcer from Trinity Episcopal Church, continued by McGee’s grandmother-in-law and then McGee. It’s been a tradition that she’s been honored to be a part of.

Through the Empty Stocking Fund, parents can apply for their children to receive Christmas presents they might not otherwise get. Each year in Harrison County, the fund assists about 300 children from ages 12 and under.

The Gift That Keeps Giving

Sawyer said the shoes gifted by the Empty Stocking Fund were a big part of the Sawyer siblings’ daily life, wearing them at school and also at church.

“As sister and I were talking, we thought we were poor, but we were very rich, because in fact we had friends and others who were suffering the same way we were. We really didn’t know there was a difference,” he said. “But my mother, I go back to her because she was just super. She got a job working at the Sewing Room here in Marshall, and we lived about 12 to 15 miles south of town, and she would come into town and work, and then at night she’d be washing and ironing our clothes so we could wear them the next day. And, of course, along the way we also went to church and we were clean there. Again, the shoes were something we were proud of.”

Their mother cared so much for her children that she made sure they always had a pair of shoes even when she didn’t possess her own.

“Each year when we would get our shoes from the Selcers, our mother didn’t have shoes, so she wrote her mother and daddy and asked them for money to buy her some shoes. So they sent her the money,” shared Ms. Redmon.

“Then the dogwoods would start blooming. If we could get one dogwood bloom, we could pull our shoes off and go barefoot,” she chuckled.

Sawyer said the foundation his mother laid for them, and the love they received from organizations like the Empty Stocking Fund, contributed a lot to the fruitfulness of the Sawyer children’s adulthood.

“It was just our life, and it prepared us so for our future,” said Sawyer. “The four of us all did well so far as life is concerned, and turned things around.”

Sawyer worked at Thiokol for 34 years, with the last 29 of it in personnel. He pastored Nesbitt Baptist Church for several years. His sister, Ms. Redmon, was the medical record coordinator for Marshall’s hospital for 28 years.

“All this would not be possible had it not been for my mother,” he said, noting his mother’s name is Annie Ballew Sawyer.

Ms. Redmon said it’s all about love, hope and faith and that’s what their family felt from the Empty Stocking Fund.

“The thing that I think of when I think of Mr. Selcer and everybody that tries to help children, the thing that really happens, you give that child hope,” said Ms. Redmon. “I knew if I kept doing what the Lord wanted me to do, I knew I could go on because neither of us was educated. Our stepfather had us to quit school when we were 16 years old and go to work.”

Listening to their testimony, McGee said that’s exactly why the Empty Stocking Fund is there, to express love.

“That’s why we’re here. So many people worry I don’t want to be seen getting help or they want everyone to think their life is all rainbows and unicorns, and it’s just not and it’s ok,” she said. “And that’s why people like my organizations and others are here, especially for the children. They shouldn’t have to go without. So it’s important for what we do for these children.”

Sawyer said it’s also important to keep supporting the Empty Stocking Fund through donations.

“I want (to encourage) everybody to invest in this type of an operation because they’re doing so much good for the children,” said Sawyer. “That’s what’s been important, as far as I’m concerned, since I’ve been in a position where I could help.

“It makes a difference,” he said. “We have a lot of organizations that take care of children …but let me tell you the basic thing that the child remembers is going to be the thing that the Empty Stocking does, because they’re getting something here now that helps them, right now, to understand there’s somebody out there that cares.

“And after all, that’s what life is all about is love,” said Sawyer.

Ms. Redmon echoed his sentiments.

“I always pray that it can continue and help another child,” she said.

Donations Accepted

In honor of the siblings, Ms. Redmon’s daughter, Dee Wilhite, presented the charity with a monetary donation. Pam Lindley, a volunteer, said the Empty Stocking Fund welcomes donations and is still in need of toys for boys and girls ages 10 to 12 years.

“That is a hard age because they want Nintendos and cell phones, and we can’t give those. Those are ages that we really have a hard time filling and we’re low on our remote controlled trucks, and we are low on books,” said Lindley. “When we fill a box, we give them their want, their wish and their need, and we go back and we add to it. We make sure they have a craft, some kind of art, a game and a book.”

McGee said volunteers are also needed to collect toys on Sundays at Walmart, from noon to 6 p.m. Those interested can email Lindley at pmlindley127@gmail.com.

McGee said toy collection sites will be at both Walmart and 360 Nutrition.

“360 Nutrition is collecting toys for the Empty Stocking Fund,” she said. “There is a box located inside that they can drop of gifts in. We will also have a box and tree inside Walmart for toys or new clothes to be donated.”

The giveaway date is Dec. 19. Families who wish to apply may call the Empty Stocking office, located at 107 N. Grove St., at (903) 472-8649 to make an appointment to sign up.

For more information, visit the organization’s Facebook page or website at www.emptystockingmarshall.org.

For monetary donations, please mail checks to: Henry F. Selcer Memorial Empty Stocking Fund, PO Box 2161, Marshall, Texas 75671.