Page 143 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2021

story by Lynn Lofton photos by Katherine Sowers
Across the hall, the living room showcases the main tree featuring pine cones, berries, cotton balls, red beads and tree branches at the top. The tree matches the double wreaths hanging over the mantle. “I wanted a lot of natural elements,” Alice said. Traditional colors of red and green dominate.
When the O'Neals moved in, the kitchen and dining room were closed off from
the rest of the house. “You had to walk outside on a covered porch to get to it,” Alice said. That porch is now a charming place to sit and catch a cool breeze. It too is decked out for Christmas with colorful pillows on the old church pew and smiling Santas.
The kitchen has been opened up to the living room and thoroughly modernized while staying true to the old house's character with touches such as using repurposed wood to build the kitchen island. John and his brother-in-law Jim King made the table, which seats eight, from floor boards taken from one of the farm's service buildings. For the holidays there's a red apple topiary and green wreaths on cabinets. There's an adjacent pantry featuring the same crisp white cabinets as the kitchen.
Farms used to have what old
timers called 'out buildings' such as a smokehouse and the O'Neals' farm is no exception. But this modern family has repurposed them a bit. With its walls removed, the old smokehouse is John's favorite grilling site. The building that sheltered the well still has the original log posts. Now it's used as a place to gather and enjoy friends and family. It hasn't been left out of the holiday cheer as there are stockings hanging on the mantle and an old rusty bicycle with lights hanging from the ceiling.
Close to the main house is the John Hall house, a small structure where a long time farm hand lived. “He was like a part of the family so we wanted to keep the house,” Alice said.
The O'Neals will welcome their children, Alison McMinn from Madison, Jennifer Ratcliff and John Russell O'Neal, both from Gulfport, and their seven grandchildren for Christmas on the farm.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
December 2021 | 143