AZLE — One Azle family received a lot of attention for its gargantuan snowman last week. During a big freeze and snowy day in February 2010, the Shearer family built a massive 13-foot snowman. During last week’s snowfall, the family and their neighbors set out to build an even bigger, better snowman. While they ultimately fell short by about a couple of inches, if you include the hat, they still had a wonderful snow day experience.
The Shearer family goes back almost a century in Azle and today you can find its members all over town, with many concentrated around the home of patriarch Eddie Shearer on Turpin Drive. Between the family and a few friends, 17 total people ended up working on the snowman. The family affair was noticed by the Azle Police Department, who parked a police cruiser nearby for a photo opportunity. After suggestions from a friend, the family also entered photos of their snowman in a Weatherford snowman competition on Facebook where they earned over 400 likes and a gift card.
“We didn’t use any fancy machines — just some ramps, a truck bed, a ladder, and some good old fashioned ‘heave-ho,’” family member Carrie Shearer said. “We won a $100 gift card to downtown Weatherford, which we will split 17 ways — that should be a trick! Downtown Weatherford Inc. reached out because they saw the size of our group and a video of us in the building process and said they would throw in some coffees for the adults and gelatos for the kids because they love communities working together. All in all, it was just a ton of family fun on a rare, beautifully snowy day in Texas!”