Haunting Holiday For The Spear Family, The Holiday Season Begins With Halloween

Ellen and Daryl Spear typically get 500 trick or treaters at their Veradale home.

“My mom hands out big candy bars,” says Steve Spear. “Not the little finger thingies, but the big dudes.”

“You’re just on your feet all night,” says Daryl. “They bus them in. Some come twice.”

Ellen spots the double dippers but doesn’t bust them.

“We keep in the spirit of (Halloween)” says Daryl.

And how do the kids find them? Oh, maybe it’s the side yard full of grave markers. Maybe they follow other kids. Most likely it’s the wall-to-wall jack-o’-lanterns on the Spears’ front deck.

“I just love Halloween,” says Ellen.

No kidding.

Wednesday was pumpkin-carving night at the Spears’ house. Kids, grandkids, friends and neighbors gathered around folding tables set up in the garage to help transform dozens of innocent orange orbs into fright-night phantasms.

This year’s crop took about three hours of concentrated labor. All the while, Ellen kept the homemade pizzas coming.

Carving Halloween pumpkins has been a tradition at the Spears’ home for 12 to 13 years, Ellen says.

This year, the Spears’ teenage grandson, Jon Spear, arrived at their home right after school Wednesday to help set up.

“It’s a tradition,” he said. “What else (would) we do?”

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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Story and photos by Sandra Bancroft-Billings