George and Susan Evans enjoy the Christmas season so much that they always display at least five trees in their home — in addition to the numerous holiday decorations around their Bradford home.
They showed their true love of being home for the holidays when they turned down the opportunity to attend the upcoming home game of their beloved football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, because it falls on Christmas.
The Evans, who are both retired, agreed to share pictures and information on their holiday decorations because Christmas is very special to them, especially in recent years. Part of their affection for the holiday is due to the fact that they have no children or living family members. But there’s a more important reason.
Susan Evans, a retired Bradford Area High School English teacher, is also an ovarian cancer survivor. She penned a successful book titled “Don’t Write the Obituary Yet,” with proceeds of more than $100,000 donated to the Evans-Krivak Gynecological Cancer Research and Education Fund. In addition, the couple travels in the region to raise funds for the organization and speak at forums on the topic. During the late fall, when they are home from their travels, or have free time from several community boards they serve on, they decorate their home.
Susan Evans does much of the indoor decorating in the rooms of their home. Her husband, a retired journalism professor from St. Bonaventure University, is given credit for the outdoor creations.
Their primary Christmas tree is a beautiful showpiece in their living room. The tree contains a number of hand-beaded ornaments that Susan Evans crafted throughout the years. A closer look reveals a delicate paper mache angel.
“I would buy the stuff in a pattern and make them,” Susan Evans said of her handmade ornaments. “I also do counter cross-stitch on linen” featuring holiday designs.
The decorations and ornaments, collected for 41 years, are plentiful and fill up the entire attic of their garage as well as half of their home’s attic. She admits that as lights burn out on decorations, they’re thrown out.
“Every year, we don’t put half the decorations out,” George Evans said of their purposeful downsizing.
A special ‘Sheltie’ tree is set up in another room in honor of their 11-year-old dog named Regan.
“There are all Sheltie ornaments on it with a Sheltie angel on top of the tree,” Susan Evans said with a laugh. She finds the unusual dog decorations in magazines. They also have a teapot tree in the kitchen and a Pittsburgh Steelers tree in a downstairs room.
The sunporch, which looks out on the back lawn, is their favorite room and contains their travel Christmas tree.
“Everywhere we go we try to buy an ornament,” she said. “We put the (area) schools on it, too,” including the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and St. Bonaventure ornaments.
A ceramic Santa ornament on a side table of the sunporch is from Susan Evan’s childhood and was given to her by her mother. It’s their most treasured piece of memorabilia.
“George says that’s the one Christmas ornament that has to come out of the cupboard, if nothing else,” Susan Evans said with a smile.
