Bixby Woman Creates Christmas Tree To Help Grieving Families

A Green Country woman has created a Christmas tree to help grieving families through the holidays! The tree in Bixby is already covered with more than 200 angel ornaments.

At the corner of Memorial and 114th in Bixby- is a living tree for those who might be grieving the death of someone they loved.

"My son-in-law wanted to honor his parents who died. They died within a year of each other. We decided to decorate a tree and decided to name it the Jess and Jody Box Memorial Christmas Tree," said Gigi Meyer Creator of The Jess and Jody Box Memorial Christmas Tree. 

When COVID hit, the family realized they might not be the only ones who needed a place to remember the people they lost during the holidays.

They opened the tree up to anyone, everyone, at any time. 

"We love people who have been in our lives, who have been instrumental in helping us become the people who we are," said Meyer. 

Sandra Ferguson has eight ornaments on this tree- representing the 8 family members she has lost in 8 months. Five, from COVID alone.

The ornament here?

"My husband passed away February 1st," said Sandra Ferguson. 

Families have come from all over Oklahoma to put an ornament on this tree.

"My own father died in January," said Meyer. 

With each ornament hung- a memory comes flooding back.

"For some reason it just brings a lot of comforts, knowing we can remember him in that small way," said Meyer. 

There are a lot of us carrying around grief with joy this Christmas.

This tree is a way of bringing those we lost along, for the Christmases they might not be physically here, to see.

"The legend of the tree is, we shine so bright from earth that we remember our loved ones in Heaven," said Meyer.