Edmonds woman among those chosen to decorate the first tree

Associated Press

SEATTLE — Three Washington state women helped decorate the White House tree this year.

Joyeanna Chaudiere, 70, of Edmonds, whose work is carried by several galleries, made a teepee out of hand-crafted paper.

Ada Whitmore, 86, of Soap Lake crafted a homesteader’s house from cornstalks and corn husks.

Miniaturist Linda Olson, 52, of Tumwater made a tiny replica of the 1858 gothic-style Crosby House, now a museum in her hometown.

All their works are decorating the 18-foot fir tree in the Blue Room of the White House. The artists were selected by Gov. Gary Locke’s office based on previous work.

The theme for this year’s White House Christmas tree, selected by first lady Barbara Bush, is "Home for the Holidays." She sent letters to the Washington, D.C., mayor and the governors of all 50 states, requesting ornaments by local artists representing historical houses.

"I’m not an artist. … I’m a product of the Depression," Whitmore said. "We learned to make do with what we had. I made corn-husk wagons and things for a display during the Washington State Centennial. That’s why I was asked to make a house."

The ornaments — all white, weighing less than 10 ounces, 6 to 8 inches tall and hung from a gold cord — will become part of the White House’s permanent collection.

The tradition of a White House Christmas tree dates to 1889, when President Benjamin Harrison set up a candle-lit tree in the second-floor family quarters.

President Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, started requesting ornaments from around the country in 1961.

To view the White House Christmas tree decorations, visit www.whitehouse.

gov/holiday

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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