Enthralled St. Barnabas residents listened to experiences of early American life as professional storyteller Christyna Jensen told of her family’s pioneer adventures in Tennessee.
Dressed as “Granny Mac,” wearing a long prairie dress, sturdy leather boots, and a straw hat adorned with a sunflower, Ms. Jensen dramatized stories from her family’s history.
With great energy and enthusiasm, Ms. Jensen told how the Bean family came from the Carolinas to settle in Tennessee, then known as the Southwest Territory, during the early days of the American frontier. The Beans encountered both hardship and joy as they paved the way for other settlers to come to Tennessee, and these tales have been passed from generation to generation in her family, said Ms. Jensen.
“Storytelling is important to preserve oral tradition and to maintain the closeness of person to person contact,” said Ms. Jensen, who pulls from a vast repertoire of stories, a collection she calls “Granny Mac’s Patch.”
A storyteller since childhood, she has captivated audiences from coast to coast with her charismatic personality, and her ability to deliver stories that resonate with her audiences.
Her belief in the importance of personal contact brought Ms. Jensen to share her stories with St. Barnabas nursing home residents. A resident herself of the St. Barnabas Retirement Apartments in downtown Chattanooga, Ms. Jensen says she tells stories to her friends there and wanted to share them with the nursing home residents as well, many of whom had never heard a professional storyteller before.
As Ms. Jensen told her stories laughter and applause could be heard from the residents of St. Barnabas.
“I think the residents thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Jensen’s stories, especially because many of them grew up in this area and were able to relate,” said Ashley Brandon, activities director. “She is so energetic and gets them excited about the stories; she really makes you feel like you are there.”
St. Barnabas resident Mary Pickett, left, with storyteller Christyna Jensen (Granny Mac)