Meet the 100-year-old Auburn fan who got to Toomer’s Corner before sunrise to say goodbye to the Toomer’s Oaks
Written by Jeremy HendersonFeatured, People, Toomer's CornerApr 23, 2013
Edna Christmas, Auburn fan.
It’s not a new view for Edna Fellows Christmas. Edna is 100 years old. She has the Toomer’s Oaks beat by 25 years. She’s seen the corner oak-less before. She hated to see it become that way again. But she wanted to be there when it happened. She insisted.
On Removal Tuesday, Christmas and her daughter Mary arrived at Toomer’s Corner before sunrise.
Christmas woke her daughter up at 5 a.m. and made her take her to Toomer’s Corner. She put on her Aubie sweatshirt and her oak tree pendant necklace. They got there 40 minutes later. Her daughter rolled her to a spot near Biggin Hall. She watched.
“I hated it for the trees to stay, as bad as they look. But I hated to see them cut down, too,” said Christmas, whose been an Auburn fan for 50 years. “I hope it’s going to be fixed where it’s pretty again.”
A few hours later, Gary Keever came over and gave her a leaf from one of the oaks’ branches that had sprouted new growth a few weeks back.
“War Eagle,” Edna said.
