CHRISTMAS MEMORIES



Memories of Current and Former Members

of the Nordonia Hills Community



As Told to Fourth Grade Students from

St Barnabas School and

Rushwood Elementary School





Christmas 1996































HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF OLDE NORTHFIELD





































To: Jenna Juchnik, St. Barnabas School



My Dear Jenna:



Such a pretty name. I am flattered that you would ask me for my memories of Christmas's past.



Your letter was bright and cheery and well composed.



My memories begin in the mid 1930s at the height and worst of the Great Depression. A time when there was very little money and very few jobs.



Our family, Father Henry L. Bean, Mother Myrtle, five boys (no girls), John, Jim, Floyd (now deceased), Paul, the youngest, and me Don, lived in Northfield Village in many, tiny, rented houses with no indoor bathroom and a pot-bellied, coal-burning stove for heat. The things that warm my memories are many.



The smell and sight of the lighted tree, which was always a fresh-cut one and always put up on Christmas Eve. Ah, that was a night that often times I was so excited I could barely sleep.



One Christmas when I was about nine, that would be 1937, my dad said there was no money for a tree or gifts. Paul and I said, "Perhaps we can do without gifts. But it wouldn't be Christmas without a tree." So that moonlit Christmas Eve we took our sled and walked to nearby, tree-covered millionaire Cyrus Eaton's estate, to--say "borrow" a tree?



When we arrived, Jenna it was almost as though St. Nicholas had provided a tree. There in a clearing, surrounded by many, huge footprints--as though some very big men had been chasing some other very bit men--was a beautifully-shaped tree. No one was m sight. Not a sound broke the silence.



We loaded the tree on our sled. Took it home and decorated it. Never was there a more beautiful Christmas tree. And yes, Jenna there were gifts. Never were we so poor that there wasn't at least one gift.



Jenna, the gifts I treasured were sleds, ice skates, cowboy guns and high-topped boots with a place on the side for a jackknife and above all books.



Books such as the "Bobbsey Twins" "Poppy Ott and Jerry Todd" "Burn 'Em Up Barnes," about race drivers and books about baseball and football players.



Jenna, let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas The spirit of giving. Giving in memory of Jesus whose birth we celebrate.

To: Jenna Juchnik, continued







It was a memorable time for me, Jenna when I saved enough money--earned selling honey from

door-to-door for Mrs. Bessie King--to buy mother a Christmas gift.



I saved 25 cents and bought a red Christmas candle. I was about 10 years old at that time (1938)



Fresh in the memories of my mind, Jenna are the parts played in Christmas plays and pageants both at

school and at church.



Church attendance was always a must for we received a bag of hard candy with a rare piece of

chocolate candy in it.



NO, Jenna we didn't have much. But we always had our Dad and Mom who taught us-- "Do not

bring shame on the family name. Do not take what does not belong to you. And work for what you got."



It was a wonderful happy time. And we never knew we were poor. Because how can you be poor

when you are warm, clean and well fed?



The happiest of holidays to you, Jenna. And may your family have a holly jolly, cool Yule and a

Happy New Year.



Fondest wishes to you;



Don Bean

Parma, Ohio



To: David Harris, St. Barnabas School





Dear David,



What a pleasant surprise to receive your letter, it is written so nicely, too.



At my age, there are many Christmases to remember; but the most impressive was when I received the least.

I had a doll when I was about 7 years old, in the late 1920's and I loved her. Believe it or not, I've had her

restored and still have her sitting on my cedar chest. I'm sure your grandparents can tell you about "The

Depression". As children, we did not realize how bad it was until one Christmas in the early 1930's. For a

month before this, I had hunted all over the house for my doll and couldn't find her anywhere. My mother

brushed me off many times until I guess I was near tears. She finally had to tell me that she had taken my

doll to a neighbor's house to have the lady make the doll a dress and bonnet. Really spoiled the surprise

because that is all I got - besides an orange and candy in my stocking. I can remember other years when

my father made doll cradles in the basement and hid them from us, same way with two toy boxes he made

that some of us still have. Oddly enough, they were happy times, and memorable. Since then, I have raised

a family of my own and sometimes I can still hear the fun and laughter from them. It wasn't so funny when

the dog knocked over the Christmas tree. My 2 year old grandchildren (twins) came to visit so I put all my

best ornaments on the top so I wouldn't have to worry about them. The boys chased the dog behind the tree

and over it went, including the top and all the pretty ornaments.



I hope your Christmas booklet will be a huge success. There must be many good stories there to be read. I

hope this is not too late. I received your letter Dec. 7th.



Wishing you a happy Christmas. Drop me a line and tell me about your book.



Sincerely,



Margaret Raimer Radiano Miami, Florida



P.S. Plastic reindeer were meant to be run over - as well as pink plastic flamingos - ha, ha!

To: Dina M. Cegelka, St. Barnabas School





Dear Dina:



Born 1917- Christmas Eve, our Holy day, prior to starting our twelve meatless dishes (12) we first fed our

cattle, in the stable, the Holy wafer in their field, mother said our blessing, we shared our piece of Holy wafer

with family, asking forgiveness of past year. Ate a little of all 12 dishes, all went to Midnight Mass - then

when we got home to see our gifts, if lucky, to get a much needed piece of clothing, no toys.



Mr. Joseph A Hupcik



Born 1920 - We had to "make" a gift of love for Jesus as it was his birthday and not ours, we had no gifts, no

money, depression, etc. I was so upset as I had no gift for the Christ child and I could not join the family till

I made a gift of a twig as such and presented it to Him. To this day we keep the practice of our "Love Tree".

I never had a doll!



Mrs. K. Hupcik



You are welcome to see our Love Tree if you wish. Many friends have made and presented to us their Love

Gift. We are Historical Society Members and proud of you to partake of such a worthy project. God Bless.



























To: Dan C. Brown, St. Barnabas School





Dear Dan,



I received your letter today and will try to remember way back. In 19201 was six years old and very ill at

Christmas time. I thought Santa would forget me and my sister and brother. We had a tree with candles on,

which were lit only for ten minutes a day! It was the most beautiful tree I ever saw and I received a doll and

buggy. I never forgot that Christmas because I thought I would be forgotten and wasn't. We had Grandma

living with us, she was 92 years old. For dinner we had goose with stuffing, two or three vegetables, sweet

potatoes and pies. We were all extra good in December for Santa.



I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year. Sorry I don't have better paper. but maybe

Santa will bring me some, I'm sure!



I will try to be there for the tree lighting, but I am not sure.



Sincerely,



Helen Bergsieker Sagamore Hills



























To: McKinsey Muir, St. Barnabas School





Dear McKinsey,



Thank you so much for writing to us and asking us to share our Christmas memories with you.



My husband, Pat, and I were married in 1956 and have five sons (Pat, Dennis, Danny, Mike and Kevin) and five grandchildren (Shawn-13, Corey-10, Caitlin-5, Brendan-almost 4, and little Molly Kathleen-3 months). All of our sons went to St. Barnabas School for eight years, and I was a room mother for each one of them. They played basketball, football, baseball, and track, and were all in scouts. We have some great memories of St. Barnabas school, and we love our parish, which we have been part of for 39 years.



When I was little (in the 1940's) I remember how excited my sister and brothers and I would get before Christmas - we always managed to make something for out parents to surprise them. We baked a lot of cookies, and we kids always got to help make the cutout cookies and decorate them. Our favorites were gingerbread boys, which I made with my sons, and still make them every Christmas - we now use the recipe Michael brought home when they made them in kindergarten (he is now 32). We always left cookies and a coke (Mom said that was what Santa liked best!) and a carrot for Santa's reindeer on Christmas eve.



My father and mother's parents were from Germany, and they followed their parent's tradition of cutting down a tree the day before Christmas, bringing it in and setting it up, but puffing no decorations on. When we kids went to bed, it stood looking dark and green in the corner of the living room. We would lay with our ears to the register on the floor, trying to hear some sound, but never heard a thing. When we came down on Christmas morning, there the tree stood in all its glory, shining with lights and ornaments. Then we had to leave because we always went to mass to celebrate Jesus' birth - when we carne home we gave each other ourr gifts. Later in the day we visited my grandmother's house, where all the cousins, aunts and uncles would be. I remember my Aunt Dorothea playing the piano, and all of us standing around singing Christmas carols. One of my very favorite presents was a beautiful bronze mother and baby horse (I had a collection of horses).



My husband and I were sharing memories after we received your letter, and he remembers on St. Nicholas Day, in the evening, all at once there would be a loud rapping on the window, the door would fly open, and a bag of candy would come flying through the door - they were sure it had to be St. Nicholas!



When our kids were small, we continued the tradition of puffing up the tree on Christmas Eve -but when they got older, they wanted to help decorate it, and so we would begin the week before Christmas. Now that they are all grown, they and the grandchildren come and help set it up, decorate it, and we have a great time all together.

One of the most favorite things we do at Christmas is the setting up of our Nativity set. My mother had one that we loved, and when Pat and I got married, we bought one,. We still have that one, added on to over the years, a little beat up, but much loved. My one grandson found a white goose he gave us to be by Baby Jesus, so that goose is there every year. My sister Judy died of cancer three years ago, and someone gave me a beautiful little crystal butterfly sitting on a rock as a remembrance - that butterfly also is by the stable. The boys, and now my grandchildren have always been allowed to move the pieces around (and believe me, they are never in the same place!) Jesus is never placed in the manger until after midnlght on Christmas Eve. My son and daughter-in-law have their kids put a piece of straw in the manger for each good thing they do - if they do something not so good, they have to take a piece of straw out!



I will be at the tree lighting for a little while on Saturday, before I leave to babysit Brendan and Molly - I hope I get to meet you!



Pat and I both hope and pray you and your family have a blessed and wonderful Christmas -weren't we all lucky that Jesus was born so that we could celebrate His birth? Thank you again for writing to us, it brought back a lot of memories and has helped make this Christmas season extra special!



Your Friends,



Joan and Pat Houlahan Northfield



















To: Rita Celebrezze, St. Barnabas School



Dear Rita,



One of my favorite Christmas memories happened about 1940.



There was a family with young children who lived near my family. Shortly before Christmas that year, my mother heard that the children's father was ill and the family was not going to have a Christmas tree



I remember my parents taking a tree to the family's house on Christmas Eve, and they helped the children's mother decorate it. On Christmas morning the children were excited when they saw the tree and the presents under it. I was happy that the children had a nice Christmas.



It sounds like you have a very good time when you go to your Grandma Sudcarnp's house to exchange gifts with your cousins. Family traditions are important and they make the holidays so much more flin.



You wrote a very nice letter, Rita, and I'm impressed with the letter-writing project which your fourth grade class has undertaken.



I wish you, Miss Darns, the other students and your families a very Happy Holiday Season. Yours tmly,



Rita Grady

Northfield

To: Jared Hager, St. Barnabas School



Dear Jared.



Thank you for the letter that was sent to my home today.



One of my most memorable Christmas gifts was from my Uncle Charlie who brought me a Wave uniform from Hawaii after World War II had ended. During the war, females who wanted to join the Navy had to join the Waves. The uniform was a navy blue skirt and jacket, along with a matching hat and purse. Can you guess the year?



Our Christmas memories, as a family, are many. Having had two boys and two girls, Christmas was always exciting and lots of buzzing activity. Dinner was always at our home with about twelve other family members. With twenty people around and about for the day, you had many things happening.



One Christmas tradition we had was to begin stringing popcorn in November, 50 you could adorn the tree with it in December. The popcorn always made our tree look so old fashioned and homey.

At the Northfield Center Fire Dept., we did, and still do, have the tradition of meeting on a Tuesday evening in December for a pot luck dinner with the members and their families. We will usually have about sixty adults and many, many children. After dinner, Santa comes to visit the Fire Dept. members and their families, with gifts for the children, of course.



Mr. Catalano was fire chief of Northfield Center Fire Department from 1975 until 1993. In 1976, I joined the

department as an EMT, and later became a paramedic in 1980. We both still enjoy volunteering our time when we can.

As trustee of Northfield Center Township, I plan to attend the Holiday Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 7. I will be looking forward to hearing the Christmas carols that will be sung. The Historical Society will be very pleased to receive of Christmas memories. This was a very unique idea for a fourth grade class to pursue.Hope that you have enough material for your booklet. I'm sure you will see me from time to time at St. Barnabas school for I am a substitute teacher, too.



Good luck on your project.



Mrs. Mary Catalano Northfield





To: Joe Holtz, St.

Barnabas School



Dear Joe:



Mr. Bugenske and I enjoyed your letter very much.



When I was your age (1946) we celebrated Christmas Eve by going to church and visiting relatives. We opened gifts Christmas morning and everyone got together for Christmas dinner.



When I married into the Bugenske family (1956) we attended Midnight Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Saginaw, Michigan. After Mass we had a traditional Polish breakfast. This continued for many years. One of my favorite Christmas Eves was about 12 years ago during a big snow storm. We had our Polish breakfast, about 2:00 a.m. and invited the snow plow drivers from Sagamore Hills to join us. It was great tun and I'm sure they appreciated it.



A very special Christmas was spent up at our cabin in Northern Michigan back in the early seventies. My husband and 2 sons cut a tree down and then we decorated it with homemade ornaments and popcorn strings. It was so cold that if you touched the wall your finger would stick to it. But we sure had fun



Our five children are now married and have children of their own. They have started their own traditions, but we still get together on Christmas day to open gifts and have dinner. We have 12 grandchildren who we have a great time with.



I hope you and your family have a Blessed and Joyous Christmas.



Fondly,



Marilyn Bugenske Sagamore Hills































To: Mark Andrasik, St. Barnabas School





Dear Mark:



Your letter was such a pleasant surprise! I'm so pleased elementary schools are going to such lengths to discover true stories of days gone by.



Since I am 67 years old, the time I will discuss is the late 1930s; the location is Carter Road across from Brentwood Ambulatory Center (it was Polcen's woods back then). The Great Depression was raging, when almost everyone was very poor; World War II had not yet started and jobs were scarce.



Besides my parents, I had 6 sisters and 2 brothers. We had a cow for milk, chickens, and my Dad made a huge garden in summer with a spade and a push cultivator, so we ate healthy; my mother canned all the vegetables from the garden, fluit, and berries from the fields around our home so we could eat in the wintertime.



With very little money, I don't know how they managed Christmas gifts for 9 children. I still remember the excitement when a B4-G-G-G box came in the mall from Sears or Montgomery Ward catalog, only to be told "you can't see this now



The Christmas I was 8 I remember best because I got a 20-inch 2-wheeler and my brother, Bill, (age 12) got a B-B gun.



Picture 6 or 7 kids trying to sneak downstairs at 5:00 a.m. Christmas morning to a cold living room, plug the tree lights in, see which was our "pile" of gifts from Santa Claus, and try to stay quiet or we'd be ordered back to bed. There under the tree with my name on it was a 2-wheeler bike I never even dared to dream about, and a doll. I was too excited to sleep, so I pushed the bike around the living room a while, then curled up under the tree with a blanket, with part of a foot sticking out from the blanket. This was too much of a temptation for brother Bill, as he aimed his B-B gun for my big toe and POW! YEOW!! I jumped and howled till the others shut me up. Next he aimed for a 7-inch diameter hole high on the wall between the living room and the kitchen where a stove pipe had been. That afternoon after dinner, we found out how many B-B's got through the hole, as they landed in the lemon meringue pie in the kitchen.



Later that day on a little hill down Carter Road when we walked down to Nesbitt's farm for a pail of milk (before we got our cow), Bill and sister Phyllis taught me how to ride my bike. They also firmly educated me on who Santa Claus really was.



I've had many pleasant Christmases since then, but none as happy as when I shared them with my own children, no matter what their ages. The funniest Christmas was when a nest (?) of hibernating praying mantises in the Christmas tree thawed out from the warmth of the house and hopped all over the house. That was the year, on Christmas afternoon, I spied my daughter playing with her brothers' trucks, the brothers playing with her dollhouse and all of them skating around the room in gift boxes. I thought of all the money I could have saved by buying just boxes!



Another Christmas Eve afternoon when my children were in high school, a blizzard descended on Ohio. The shopping was done, the smell of pumpkin pie drifted thru the house, a fire was in the fireplace, and -- best of all -- my family was all safe inside. What a total feeling of peace and happiness!



My husband recalls his best Christmases were in 1933, when he was 8, and in 1939, when he was 14. His family had moved from Northfield Village to Route 82 in Northfield Center in 1932; since Northfield Center had sidewalks, he was able to get a red wagon for Christmas the next year. Imagine getting excited over a red wagon when you're 8 nowadays, but back then it was a real treat! When he was 14 he got his first balloon-tire, 2-wheel bike; Christmases in between he got clothes, which were precious in those days.



Our present-day traditions are the same as when I was a child. Your toys are more futuristic and complex than ours were, but our Christmas dinner menu was the same as yours; we hung old stockings for Santa to fill; we went to Mass and to Grandma's house on Christmas Day, just like today.



Isn't it nice that some things never change?



Mrs. Mary (Raimer) Rivers North Ft. Myers, Florida



P.S. Say hello to your Grandma, Katie Andrasik; she is a good friend of mine.



To: Brian Velbeck, St. Barnabas School





Dear Brian,



When I was young I lived on a farm with my twin brother, Aunt and Uncle The farm had no electricity, we used oil lamps.



The Christmas tree was put up on Christmas Eve - not before. When we would get up on Christmas morning the tree would be lighted with candles. Cookies baked the day before.



My favorite memories are when I received a beautiful doll and an orange. We only got oranges on Christmas.



During my 81 years I have had wonderful memories with my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I came to Northfield in 1929 and have seen many changes.



I wish you a very Merry Christmas and thank you for thinking of me.



Sincerely a Community Friend,



Mrs. Helen Snodgrass Northfield



























To: Kevin Sibly, St. Barnabas School





Dear Kevin,



I am honored to have been chosen to write to you. I'll try to be brief. I have lived in Northfield for 71 years.



One of my nicest memories is the Northfield Fire Dept. giving a little stocking filled with candy and a small gift to all the children. These were given out at the town hall. My friend, Vivian

Brazie Burns, and I each got a funny little elf and we named them Augustavus Adolphus!



My friend still puts hers on her Christmas tree - mine got lost. Vivian is still my closest friend.

Another memory is getting a Christmas box of hard candies with one chocolate drop in it at the

Federated Church. The church was moved and is now the Northfield Presbyterian Church.



These memories are from the late 1920s.



Thanks for writing. Have a Happy Holiday.



Sincerely,



Esther M. Early Northfield

To: Cassie Vinson, St. Barnabas School





Dear Cassie,



Thank you for your interest in my life during this holiday season. This has always been my favorite time of year. Christmas has not changed much since I was a child. The biggest change is that there are a lot more toys available for children today.



I have many memories of growing up in the late fifties and sixties. As a child, I would wake up early on Christmas morning to see the gifts under the tree. My sister, brother, and I would then wait for my parents to wake up to open our gifts. We, too, would then listen to Christmas music on Christmas morning.



My favorite gift I ever received came early one year. The year was 1979. My daughter, Nicole, was born in October of that year. She has brought more joy into my life as a child then I could ever have imagined. I hope when you grow up, become an adult, and have children of your own, that you, too, will be able to experience the same joy that you bring to your parents.



My fondest memories came later in my life when my daughter was growing up. When I was young I was always one of the first to wake up. Unlike me, my wife Dannie and I would have to wake Nicole up on Christmas morning. Seeing the joy in her eyes and the look on her face Christmas morning has meant more to me than any other gift I could ever receive.



So Cassie, do me a favor, Christmas morning take some time in between opening your gifts and look at your parents and to see the joy you bring into their lives. Cassie, have a very Merry Christmas.



Your Friend,



Brent A. Sommer Northfield







To: Matthew Hipple, St. Barnabas School





Dear Matt,



Thank you for choosing us to relate our Christmas memories. My favorite Christmas gift and memory is my engagement ring. My husband asked me to marry him and gave me my ring at midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 1963.



Merry Christmas!



Mrs. Martha LaGuardia







Dear Matt,



Other than the special Christmas where I got engaged, I remember the Christmas of 1951 when I received a very special gift, an American Flyer train set.



Merry Christmas!



Mr. Lou LaGuardia Northfield



To: Peter Honsberger, St. Barnabas School





Dear Pete,



I want to thank you for your well-written letter. I am sorry I could not respond sooner to your request but Christmas was a very busy time. I've included with this letter some Christmas reflections. I hope they are what you are looking for. Otherwise, let me know and I will think of something else.



Good luck with your project.



God bless you, Fr. Charlie





As I look back on the many Christmas celebrations of my life, the major thought that keeps returning is that of my family with seven children gathering around a Christmas tree jam-packed with presents. I grew up on a farm with my grandparents living next door. On Christmas eve, my younger brother and sisters would go to my grandparents' house after dinner. We would go out to the barn to milk the cows and do our chores. When we came back into the house, Santa Claus had always made his drop off. We opened our presents on Christmas eve. I have wonderful warm memories of the excitement and joy we experienced as a family together around the tree.



The first time I was not with my family for Christmas was 1974. I was studying in Rome, Italy ~o I was not able to come home for Christmas. I went to midnight Mass with Pope Paul VI at St. Peter's Basilica. While it was a great honor to be with the pope and thousands of people gathered in the basilica, I felt sad and alone because I was not with my family. That year was not my favorite Christmas. Now I have 17 nephews and nieces. This last Christmas I invited everyone to the rectory for the family party. Again there are lots of wonderful memories as I watched the excitement of everyone opening their presents.







Fr. Charles Diedrick St. Barnabas Church, Northfield

To: Jennifer Rohn, St. Barnabas School





Dear Jennifer:



I am sorry that I did not answer your kind letter before Christmas. I have been sick with the flu for several weeks and have not been writing letters.



I grew up in Northfield in the 1930's and 1940's a long time ago. My best memories were that my Mother would bake a Christmas bread of sweet dough and because I didn't like raisins I would get a special one. There were five children in our family. The Christmas tree went up the day before with popcorn garlands and home made ornaments. Oranges were always our gift plus hard candy and shelled nuts. Each one of us got a gift and it was as precious as gold. My brother's candy and nuts (as were mine) were gone in hours. My older sister saved hers for weeks. This caused problems as my brother and I would try to take it from her.



My greatest memory was that my Mother and Dad never got any presents. There just wasn't any money. But somehow I believe they had their presents - their five children.



Thank you Jennifer for writing me and giving me the opportunity to reminisce.



Please ask Ms. Darns if I might visit your 4th grade.



Sincerely,



Oliver Ocasek

Sagamore Hills

































To: Miss Gina Lonardo, St. Barnabas School





Dear Miss Lonardo



Your letter was a nice surprise last week. Thank you for sharing two of your favorite Christmas memories with me. I enjoyed reading your letter.



When I was in fourth or fifth grade at Northfield Elementary School (early 1980's), my favorite Christmas gift was a Cabbage Patch Kids (yes, they were a popular doll when I was younger). The doll came with the name Jana Jan and adoption papers. I still have the doll.



As a girl, I can remember every Christmas Eve my sister and I would put milk, cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer by the fire place.



My favorite memory and tradition was watching my grampa's silent Christmas movies every Christmas Eve. Grampa would set up his old film projector (the kind before television) and small movie screen. After dinner, the whole family would watch the funny movies and take turns reading the words on the screen.



Now that I'm older (I'm 24), I enjoy going to church with my family on Christmas morning and spending the holiday with them.



Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.



Lisa M. Stefka Northfield, Ohio



















To: Andrew Gardella, St. Barnabas School





Dear Drew,



Thank you for your letter. I do have many childhood memories of Christmas. I remember when I was about 10, right after Christmas dinner, my grandpa Gullo would sit and tell us stories. We would all gather around him and he would tell us stories of his childhood. I remember going to see Mr. Jingling in downtown Cleveland every year with my best friend's family. We would get a key and a chocolate malt for 25 cents. I was about 8 when we started doing this. I also remember opening gifts in the morning from the time I was 8-12 and as soon as I was done I would call my best friend, Diane, to share all our gifts with each other. I remember celebrating a very special holiday with many family members.



Mrs. Kathy Friess

Northfield









































To: Erin McNerney, St. Barnabas School





Dear Erin,



First, let me congratulate you for writing me such a beautiful letter. If you are in the fourth grade, then you are probably ten, or perhaps eleven, years of age.



Let me tell you a little bit about myself I was born in Northfield on April 30, 1917 and am now 79 years of age I have lived here in Northfield almost all of my life.



Since you are 10 years old, I'm going to tell you of my best Christmas memory when I also was 10 years old.



Back when I was that young, we could only expect one gift at Christmas with perhaps some candy. I'll always remember that Christmas for my Grandparents gave me a fine pair of ice skates.



I never did learn to skate very well but that wonderful gift will always be one of my greatest Christmas memories.



Erin, thank you for writing such a nice letter and I hope you, too, will have a wonderful Christmas Holiday.



I hope some day we will have an opportunity to meet each other.



Your friend,



Rex Burns

Northfield



To: Allison Hoagland, St. Barnabas School





Dear Allison:



We received your very nice letter concerning Christmas when we were young. When we remember Christmas the most, it was in the 1940's when we were small children.



Of course our parents didn't have much money, it was after the depression, but we always had a tree and Santa always provided a couple special gifts



I remember every year our father would wait until Christmas Eve to put up the tree and all of us would decorate. We had a pot belly stove in the living room which we huddled around to stay warm and then run off to bed before we got cold. One year the tree was put in a room that was hardly heated. We didn't take it down till Easter because it was too cold to go in there.



We all had long brown cotton stockings hung up, but of course an orange, a few walnuts and hard candy didn't fill it up much.



I still have my last dolly I received and she is still very precious to me and my husband still has his train set.



Also our father would always take us for a ride on the bobsled with the horse we had



These are the things we like to remember the most but now we re-live Christmas through our children and grandchildren.



Thank you for writing and may you also have a Merry Christmas and fond memories,



Mr. & Mrs. Harry Phillips, Sr. Macedonia



Enclosed is a tree ornament for you.

I also have a granddaughter named Allison, also in 4th grade.



To: Brian, St. Barnabas School





Dear Brian,



It was nice to hear from you. Sounds like a fun project.



When I was growing up in the 1930's and 1940's our Christmas tree was never put up until after the children went to bed on Christmas eve, so that it was a surprise on Christmas morning from Santa.



With my children in the 1950's and even today, the youngest child gets to be first to open his presents. Each one waits till it's their turn and sometimes it is hard to wait, too.



Hope you have a blessed Christmas.



Sincerely,



Mr. & Mrs. Louis Rybak

Northfield



















































To: Colin Gregg, St. Barnabas School





Dear Colin,



I want to thank you for writing to me. I do remember my most favorite Christmas gift. I was in the 4th grade at Macedonia Elementary School.



Christmas morning I saw a long box that had my name on it. I quickly opened it, and do you know? I saw the most beautiful doll. She had long blonde curls and she opened and closed her eyes. She wore the prettiest blue dress and had white shoes on her feet. I took very good care of her and enjoyed her for several years.



I also received a bag of candy and an orange. My dad always gave me and my two brothers a piece of coal in a bag. It was to bring us good luck all year.



Merry Christmas Colin, and may all your wishes come true.



Mrs. Helen Ocasek Northfield



To Wesley Huntington, St. Barnabas School





Thank you for your very nice, well written letter.



To start answering your questions, I started in the first grade in Northfield Elem. school in 1931, and graduated from Northfield High School in 1943. That means I am old enough to be your grandmother. The time period of my early school years also means I was a child during the time of the Great Depression. Things were very hard for our parents because our fathers didn't have jobs and it was very difficult for them to even provide the necessary food, shelter, and clothing. Christmas presents were even more difficult. But I had wonderful parents and I was the baby n the family so my Christmas memories are very happy. We had a lot of flin in school around Christmas. Every room had a little live tree that we decorated; we sang Christmas Carols, recited Christmas poems, and had a Christmas party the last day of school before vacation. We usually exchanged inexpensive little gifts but a few years we didn't do that because many of the children couldn't afford to buy a gift to exchange. We often had a community Christmas party in the High School gym where all the children there got a gift and candy in little boxes.



Christmas in my home was always a very happy time. We had a tall live tree that smelled of pine all during the season. My sisters and their husbands came home and my whole family was together. I had a stocking hung from our fireplace that I would find full of fruits and nuts on Christmas morning. It always had a dime in the toe. In those days a dime was like getting a dollar today. We also had something very good for Christmas dinner and best of all my mother made a rich fruit cake like pudding called suet pudding for dessert.



I have two all time favorite gifts. My older sister gave me a Mickey Mouse wrist watch the first year they were made and one year my father made me a cedar chest to keep my childhood treasures in. I kept it until my first grand-daughter arrived and I gave it to her. I came from a reading family and every year I got at least one new book.



I am sorry I had plans made months before for a bus trip that made it impossible to be at the tree lighting ceremony. I would have liked to have met you.



I have played your gift exchange game and I agree it is a lot of fun. You never know what you are going to find when you unwrap that package.



Have a blessed Christmas Wesley, accept my good wishes for all of your family



Sincerely,



Mildred McCarty Broadview Heights

To Danielle Pund, St. Barnabas School





Dear Danielle,



First I must tell you that I graduated from St. Benedict Grade School in the year of 1934 and my wife graduated from St. Andrew's School in 1936. My childhood memories are from about 1926 to 1934.



One memory that stands out from Grade School is the first time I was asked to take part in the Christmas Play that took place during and before Christmas Midnight Mass. I played the part of a shepherd. From that time on I was allowed to attend Midnight Mass. A big deal at that time of my life.



My wife Marie and I are of the Slovak Nationality and we have traditions that we still celebrate. One is the special Christmas Eve Dinner. It is called "Viliya". "Viliya" means the Vigil or Eve of Christmas, a bountiful supper. Special foods are prepared. Oplatky "Christmas Wafers" and Honey Mushroom Soup, "Pierogi" dough pockets filled with fruit, potatoes, cheese and more. "Babalky" dough balls and poppy seed rice, beans and more. My wife and I still celebrate this tradition.



Our children and grandchildren come home Christmas Eve to partake in this Special Dinner. Hopefully they will continue this tradition as their families grow.



Sorry we didn't see you on Dec. 7th; we were out of town at the time. Thank you for asking us to be a part of your class project.



Hope you and you family have a Happy and Blessed Christmas,



Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gruss Sagamore Hills



P.S. We hope this is what you needed.



To: Lauren Dennis, St. Barnabas School

Dear Lauren,

You wrote a beautiful letter. As a teacher, I really appreciated how neat and well written it was.



One of my earliest memories of Christmas in my family is of my dad and a family tradition. We always had to go to bed Christmas eve at 7:00 p.m. Only then did my dad put up the tree and the beautiful yard underneath. Each year, my dad made something new for the yard. One thing he made that still sticks in my mind is the skater's pond with its artificial snow and little figures he made. This was our biggest Christmas present - my dad's gift of love for all of us.



He then rang "Santa's Bell" and we hurried down stairs to see the rib and yard, sing songs and eat Christmas cookies. We opened our present which was a new Christmas outfit and a toy for my younger sisters. Our Christmases were always happy.



I hope you and your family are blessed with happiness, joy and peace Merry Christmas!



Love,



Mrs. Carol Henn, Macedonia























To: Rachel, St. Barnabas School



Dear Rachel:



Hi, I received your letter requesting a Christmas memory from days gone bye and one memory in particular has always stuck with me. I am from a family of seven children all relatively close in age. We grew up in Mentor, Ohio and our big treat was for our mother to take two or three of us together on a shopping trip to the Higbee's department store in Cleveland. One year my mother Mary took myself and my two older sisters, Colleen and Kyle, on our yearly shopping trip to Higbee's. I was about six at the time, which would have made the year about 1957. We were excited about going downtown to see the Christmas decorations and even more excited about buying my mother her Christmas gift. Colleen, Kyle and I pooled all of our money m order to buy our parents a gift.



As luck would have, the three of us found what we thought to be the most beautiful three tiered wood and brass fruit holder. We all agreed that this would be a most excellent gift for our mother. My oldest sister, Colleen, counted our accumulated funds and then checked the price on this most beautiful present. We were in luck; we had just enough to buy this item for our mother with not a penny to spare. My older sister, Kyle, distracted my mother and Colleen and I took the fruit holder up to a sales clerk in order to purchase it. The sales clerk, an older woman, rang up the fruit holder and informed us of the total amount due. Something was wrong, we did not have enough money. At that point my other sister, Kyle, had rejoined us leaving my mother out of earshot of this transaction. The three of us looked at each other thinking, I'm sure, the same thought, disaster. I can't speak for Kyle or Colleen, but I know I felt like crying. The sales clerk must have seen the look of dismay on our faces. She asked how much money we had. Colleen, being the oldest, counted out the money on the counter to reveal our shortfall of a couple of dollars. The sales clerk looked at us and then informed us she had made a mistake and the total amount owed was exactly the amount on the counter. The three of us were overcome with relief and satisfaction that our mother would in fact have this most wondertul of gifts. The sales clerk wrapped up the fruit bowl and the three of us rejoined our mother. We could hardly wall until Christmas for our mother to unwrap that gift.



Some forty years have passed, my mother still has that fruit bowl on her kitchen counter and I still carry in my heart the kindness of that sales clerk who, I am sure, made up the difference in money out of her own purse.

Sincerely,



Thome Muir

Sagamore Hills

To: Rachel Moss, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Rachel,



I am sorry it took so long to answer your lovely letter. We have been real busy. On the day you wrote your letter, I was having a baby. His name is Paul. This was our first Christmas with him. This will be our most memorable Christmas.



We have a lot of Christmas memories I remember going to my Grandma's house, too. It was a very special time. She had red goblet glasses that she put on the table every Christmas. I loved drinking from them.



My husband used to go to his Grandma's house, too.



I think we have a lot in common with our Christmas memories. I know you will have many memorable Christmases to come!



Happy New Year



Sincerely,



Mr. & Mrs. Petras

Northfield























To: Angel, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Angel,



We were delighted to receive the inquiry as to past Christmases from Angel and you are most welcome to use any of these memories even though we didn't grow up in Sagamore Hills.



One of my favorites must have been from the '40's as a child in Harrison County, Ohio. I crept downstairs at 3:00 a.m on Christmas morning to turn on the tree and lie looking up through the branches. I opened my one gift - a wondertul rose-colored chenille bathrobe packed in a brown paper bag. I savored the wonder of it, then repacked it to open again in the morning (no TV or telephone). My mother, born in 1916 in New Jersey to a family of 10, tells of a special Christmas. Each child received one orange - that was the single and only gift. It was such a wondertul treat that they ate peel and all. The tree was secretly set up in the parlor - a cold room reserved only for special visitors. The doors were opened Christmas Eve and the tree was lighted with candles in metal holders with clips and watched very carefully.



Very best wishes for a wonderful 1997 and success with your valuable community project.



Julia Reimold

Sagamore Hills





























To: Adam Chaloupka, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Adam,



What a nice thing to do! Sending me such a letter Although I'm a little late in responding



I was born in 1922 in Cleveland. We were rather poor. I had one brother and two sisters. We were a happy family. We hung up our stockings on Christmas Eve. They were filled with oranges and hard candies. What a treat it was. My best gift ever was outdoor roller skates. I became so proficient on those skates, I could get groceries or milk, etc., and wear them. No one had wrist watches or two wheel bikes until they graduated from high school. I saved my pennies and the day finally came when I had three dollars to buy a second-hand bike. I was thirteen years old and so very proud of my self It opened up a whole new life for me, because I could go places I had never been. We never could afford a car until I was eighteen. There wasn't any television in the 1920's and 1930's and almost no one had radios. But we were happy playing marbles, hopscotch, jacks, hide and seek, red rover-red rover, and sitting on front porches in the evenings listening to stories the adults told.



Thank you for writing to me.



Yours truly,



Margaret Pattin

Northfield





















To: Brittany Price, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Brittany:



Your letter arrived after we left town for the holidays and just returned home. Your letter was among the mail we received while we were gone.



No doubt this is a school assignment and sincerely hope it is not too late for your grade



My favorite Christmas memory was when I was about 5 years old. My parents bought a real live tree - our first! My brothers and I strung yards of cranberries and popcorn to trim the tree. Tin candle holders with real candles. My parents insisted my brothers and I sit quietly while my father lite the candles. It was a beautiful sight and one memory I'll never forget. There also was a large bucket of water nearby in case of a fire.



My maternal grandparents were visitin8 and gave me my first piece of jewelry - a gold locket which I treasured, but later was lost.



Sincerely hope your holidays were as memorable as mine were years ago and still are.



Sincerely,



Marie Seiler (Mrs. Frank B.) Sagamore Hills



P.S. This Christmas was celebrated in 1910.

To: Bethany Fich, Rushwood Elementary School



Dear Bethany:



Thank you for your letter dated Dec.11, 1996, but I did not receive it until Dec.21, 1996. In answer to your question of how Christmas' have changed over the years and my favorite Christmas present has really made me think very hard.



When I was a child my family was very poor, it was the start of the Great Depression and my father died in 1934; we could not afford many presents at Christmas. Every year we had the same Christmas tree, it was artificial and was purchased in 1932.



Every year I gave my mother a box of face powder because it only cost ten cents. She always pretended that she liked it (parents are like that). The best present I ever received as a youth was a Marks Electric train, which I still have in its original box. It cost $3.95 and I spent many hours playing with that train, taking it apart then putting it back together again, running it fast so it would go off the track. Every Christmas after that I got to decorate the platform under the tree while my sister decorated the tree, she always did a good job.



It was a rule in our house that all Christmas decorations had to be taken down on New Year's day and put away and the house had to be clean.



Christmas was always celebrated at church, where I still think it should be because it is the birthday of Jesus. It was then, as it is now, houses being decorated on the inside and outside, but not as elaborate as they are now.



The town square was decorated with a few lights and decorations hung on the light poles. Stores had fine decorations in their windows and it was a must to see them. The idea of a Santa Claus and all the related stories was not a big deal and I don't remember anyone going out of their way to emphasize them because it took away the true meaning of Christmas and I believe that mankind can never forget that the birth of Christ was one of the most important events that ever happened.

I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!



Sincerely,



Norm Detrick, Northfield

To: Candice Domzalski, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Candice:



I was pleased you selected me to pass on my favorite Christmas memory. I was about ten years old. It was Thanksgiving 1947, my parents had traveled to Conneaut, Ohio to celebrate the holiday with my grandparents. My grandparents lived about six miles outside of Conneaut, on a farm. I loved to visit them and have many fond memories.



The day after Thanksgiving we went shopping downtown to Peltons Department store, which was named after the Pelton family. I can still remember getting on my knees, in order to get a closer look at the most beautiful doll I had ever seen. I spent the entire time staring at the doll. She had blond braids and a blue and white checked dress with a white pinafore and blue straw hat with little patent leather shoes. Well of course I told my grandma that I would like to have that doll for Christmas. You can imagine how disappointed I was when she told me she already had my Christmas present. We traveled back to Cleveland, me with a heavy heart just knowing that doll would not be under the Christmas tree on Christmas Day.



It seemed Christmas would never come that year. It always took so long from Thanksgiving to Christmas when I was a youngster! Now that I am a 'grandma" it seem like there is never enough time to complete all the preparations.



Well, Candice, Guess What? Grandma came through and gave me that beautiful doll. To this day I still have her in my cedar chest. She is old and has a broken leg, (which I fixed with a band aid), but she is still the most beautiful in the whole world to me.



My grandmother gave me so many wondertul memories to cherish. She has gone to home to heaven and is singing carols with all the angels.



I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and wondertul New Year. Remember dear, Jesus is the reason for the season.



Sincerely yours,



Annette Kuhn

Sagamore Hills



To:Brandy Kelly, Rushwood Elementary School



Dear Brandy,



Thank you so much for your letter; it was nice to hear from you. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a restful vacation from school.



What I remember most about my Christmases was waking up very early to look at our gifts, then dressing quickly and running off to Mass at 7:00 with my four brothers. We lived close to St. Barnabas Church so we'd dash off early because the 7:00 a.m. Mass was only a half hour; all the other Masses were an hour. Then we'd be home at 7:30 and have the rest of the day to play with our toys! Mom always had a turkey cooking and that is what I liked best to eat! We always had a lot of Christmas cookies, which I liked to help bake. My boys and I still bake most of them today.



One of my favorite Christmas gifts was a doll house made for me by Mr. Jay Peck of Northfield. This was in the mid sixties when I was about 8 or so. Some of the other toys have come and gone, but I still have my doll house.



Some of the traditions I remember are taking out the manger and setting it up every year, hanging up our stockings on Christmas Eve, putting out cookies and hot chocolate for Santa, and always having Grandpa there with us for Christmas dinner.



May you have wondertul memories, also, of Christmas to look back upon when you're older. Thank you for writing and enjoy the rest of the fourth grade.



Sincerely yours,



Mrs. Kathleen Rivers Honsberger, Northfield















To: Samantha, Rushwood Elementary School

Dear Samantha:

I am sorry I did not reply to your very nice letter sooner. I got the flu before Christmas and am just now starting to feel better.



My favorite Christmas was the one when I was 11 years old. That was in 1936. My folks told me not to expect the bicycle that I wanted so badly, they were just too expensive. So I really was not hoping for that special bike.



My Dad drove to Stow, on Christmas Eve, to bring my grandparents up for the Holiday. I couldn't understand why he parked the car in the driveway next door.



Looking out across the yard at the car, I kept imagining I saw handlebars sticking out. But, no, it couldn't be! It was just shadows of tree limbs in the dim street light.



The next morning when I peeked out at the Christmas tree, there stood a beautiful, blue, two-wheeled bicycle.



What an exciting Christmas morning. I just about rode the wheels off that bike. I have had many wondertul Christmas mornings since, but I hold that one special.



Sincerely yours,



Mrs. Ida Varnes Macedonia

To: David, Rushwood Elementary School

Dear David,

When I was a small girl in the early 1 930~s, Christmas to me was a time of excitement, awe, and wonder. When I was born in Macedonia, a small village surrounded by farm land. Everyone knew everyone else in the community. When I entered school at age six I already knew most of my classmates. We all looked forward to the Christmas holiday. The "free" days were spent, weather permitting, mostly on the neighborhood pond ice skating with all of our friends.



One of the highlights of the season was the annual Church Christmas program which was usually held the Sunday evening before Christmas. All of the children who attended Sunday school had a part in the program. Some of us had a piece to speak or a song to sing. The had rehearsals at the Church several times before the big night so that everything would run smoothly. After the children had all performed Santa Claus arrived with candy and gifts for all of the girls and boys.



Another thing I looked forward to was the annual trip to the big city to see all of the beautiful lights and the decorations in the big department stores. The windows of the stores were a fairyland, with animated figures of Santa's workshop and all sorts of magical things. Sometimes my folks drove us to Cleveland, and some years we went to Akron. Either city was a marvel to the eyes of this little girl from the country. We didn't have artificial Christmas trees in the 1930's. Some years we had a cut tree, but once in a while my father would buy a dug tree with the roots balled in burlap. My folks would put it in a big washtub and after the holidays we would plant it in our yard. Our tree was never brought into the house until Christmas Eve. My first glimpse of that lighted, decorated tree was on Christmas morning when it was surrounded by beautifully wrapped packages. What a sight to behold. It was pure magic to the eyes of a small child.



As we didn't have a fireplace in our house, our stockings were hung on the front door where Santa could easily find them. Fruit and candy were hard to come by in those days so we were delighted to find candy and nuts, and an orange or tangerine in the stocking along with some small toys or trinkets. After the excitement of the bulging stocking came the grand opening of gifts. I always got a book and some toys, maybe a doll. Sometimes I received a new stocking hat and mittens. I think the gift I remember most was the year I received a new pair of ice skates. I had always worn old, hand me down skates and was really thrilled with that new pair of white skates with the shiny blades.

To: David, continued.





I was a very lucky little girl who lived next door to my grandparents. After our morning of opening gifts we went over to Grandma's where my aunts, uncles, and cousins joined us for a big turkey dinner and more gifts. Christmas in our family was always a truly festive affair. But we were never allowed to forget the true meaning of the day. The birth of the Christ child.



I always knew that Jesus was born on Christmas day. As I got a little older I was allowed to stay up late on Christmas Eve. Sometimes there was a Church service and many years I went caroling with our youth group from Church. I always enjoyed singing those beautiful Christmas carols. I have many wondertul memories of the holiday season when I was a child, but the thing that always comes to mind is the love and sharing with family and friends.



Christmas is a time of wonder, magic, and love. Love of family and friends, the magic of Santa Clause, and the wonder and awe of the birth of the baby Jesus.



May you have a wondertul holiday season, David. Merry Christmas.



Sincerely,



Marilyn Goetz

Macedonia



To: Andy, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Andy,



I received your December 11, 1996 letter today. I wanted to answer it before you start your Christmas vacation. Therefore, I cannot type my letter, as my typewriter is being repaired.



As a child in the 1920's, I looked forward to Christmas. Every year a week before Christmas we made Bohemian Christmas bread, called Vanochzka. It is a braided bread filled with almonds and raisins. We always made at least fifteen large loaves so we'd have plenty for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. After my mother got older, I took over the tradition and make it every Christmas.



Other traditions included making popcorn and stringing it for decorations for the Christmas tree Also, we roasted chestnuts gathered from our tree in the yard.



Every Christmas Eve we walked to the houses of our neighbors to sing Christmas carols. We would sing three carols at each house and then continue on our way.My favorite gifts were books and clothes for a doll. The doll had been given to me by my great-grandmother. She was special even though she was unable to visit very often.



The doll was my favorite just as your lego is your favorite. I hope you enjoy the set for many years.



Thank you, Andy, for writing and please know that Rushwood Elementary and all the Nordonia

Schools are very special to me. I attended Nordonia Schools and then taught in the Nordonia

Hills City Schools. You can be very proud of your excellent school system.



Happy Holidays!



Sincerely,



Betty Ocasek Peters, Sagamore Hills

To: Jessica, Rushwood Elementary School



Dear Jessica,



Thanks for thinking of us during this Christmas season.



Christmas for me has always been a family time. As a child my family and extended family would share gifts at several different locations. It was always wonderfiil sharing with brother-sisters-cousins and others.



I remember one Christmas Santa Claus actually showed up at a large family gathering - what a thrill.



I hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas.



Sincerely,



Paul Pendleton







Dear Jessica,



Thanks for including Mr. Pendleton and I in your Christmas memories project, and we loved getting your letter.



My fondest memory of this magical time of year was in 1956 (I was 10) in cold snowy Massachusetts where I grew up. We always spent the holiday at home (my 2 sisters, mom, dad, and my grandmother would come to visit, also). Our home was small, barely enough beds for the 5 of us, so when grandma came to stay, one of us would give up their bed. This was the year that I gave her mine, and my bed was in the same room with the Christmas tree. She moved things around a bit so that when she laid on the bed, she looked up at all the twir~ing lights. Grandma said it was like sleeping under God's starry sky. I told all my friends that my grandmother slept under the Christmas tree on Christmas eve. She gave me a crystal star for a gift the next day!



Jessica, may you have a magical Christmas, too.



Sincerely,



Mrs. Miriam Pendleton, Sagamore Hills



To: Chris Gacom, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Chris, For only 11 years old, you write a good letter. Keep it up. My letter will not be as good.



I'm 77 years old and have seen a lot of change in Northfield. I've lived there my whole life.



The area where you live was all farm land. Not too far from you was a farm that just raised watermelon. The school I went to is still there in Northfield Center.



My Dad delivered mail to Northfield Center, Northfield Village, Sagamore Hills and part of Boston Heights - in half a day, all by himself So, you see, I have seen a few changes in the area!



Christmas meant lots to eat, not so much on gifts, because we had enough. Not to spend extra money on gifts "until our ship comes in" was what my mom would say if I ask for too much.



You keep working at school, ya here?!



Jay Peck

Northfield

]













To: Jeff, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Jeff,



I received your nice letter yesterday and I thank you very much



When I was young I lived in Germany and our Christmas Celebration was a little different. On Christmas Eve "Kristkindel" came (that is the little Baby Jesus). The door to the living room was closed. My brother and I had to sing some Christmas songs, then the door opened and there was a beaut~l Christmas tree with lighted candles. It was so lovely! The Manger, with the Baby Jesus was under the tree and there were presents too. I usually received a new knitted hat, scarf and mittens, and a pretty doll.



We didn't receive so many gifts like the children get now, but we sure had a wonderful Christmas I wish you a blessed Christmas, Jeff



Hildegard Brogdon, Northfield

To: Alex, Rushwood Elementary School

Dear Alex,

Christmas in my younger years at your age now was different. Christmas was celebrated as a religious holiday. The birth of our Jesus Christ.



In the 1920's, I remember my mother and father decorating the real Christmas tree with mostly home made ornaments if you couldn't afford bought decorations. One I remember, my mother took candy and wrapped crepe paper around it and tied it with colored ribbon. We didn't have electric tree lights till in the 1930's. My parents had candles in clip-on holders that I still have and decorate my tree. The candles would be lit with a match under supervision and for a few minutes with a bucket of water in case the tree caught on fire. Luckily it didn't.



Christmas Eve would be celebrated with a meatless supper. Homemade cookies and cake baked in the Christmas tradition. Family relatives would be included. After, the family gathered around the Christmas tree and sang Christmas songs; in my case in Hungarian. Of course we would sing one we all knew in English, "Jingle Bells". Grandparents and parents would tell us how it was in their generation, the tradition passed on to us. Sometime three young men, members from the Church, St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church, would come to your house dressed as shepherds to announce the coming of our Jesus Christ. And later we all went to Christmas Eve Mass.



Christmas gifts were opened Christmas Day. We were lucky to get one gift; sometimes two. One gift of clothes you need mostly and the other a toy. In my case dolls. I still have two of my dolls; one is sixty seven and the other sixty four. My mother would have a stocking hung on the door knob since we didn't have a fireplace. It would contain an orange, nuts, maybe a nickel and a small trinket if your parents can afford it. Christmas Day would be celebrated as a family thing and a quiet one at home.



In the 1920's and 1930's were hard years. We had what we could afford. My sister and I were fortunate to have some kind of Christmas. A tree and gifts. Some children I grew up with were not fortunate and you remember that.



Alex, I'm so glad you wrote to me and you care how Christmas was celebrated in each generation and tradition. In my case my grandparents and parents from Hungary passed it on to us. We still remember and carry on most of it.



I hope your grandparents and parents on both sides talk to you about Christmas, how it was in their generation.



In 1997, this coming year, it would be nice to compare how we celebrated the past Christmas. Putting it in writing and passing it on to the next generation is the best Christmas you can give everybody.



May the New Yew 1997 be the best for you.



Yours truly,



Irene K. Kusmierz, Sagamore Hills





P.S. Received your letter Dec.19, 1996. I'm also keeping your letter and envelope to have it on file at the Palmer House Museum. Don't forget to come and visit us. Bring your family.



To: Miss Saurs, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Miss Saurs,



Thank you for your lovely letter inquiring about my early Christmas memories.



I would like to compliment you on your excellent penmanship



As a child in the 1960's, our Christmas was not very different from the way it is today.



I remember that my grandparents always stayed over on Christmas Eve to watch their grandchildren

open their presents. Every year we were so excited about the next day's events that we could hardly sleep.

One Christmas I woke up in the middle of the night. I snuck out to see what Santa had left under the tree.

As I turned on the light by the tree, my grandfather awoke and promptly sent me back to bed. He had been

guarding the gifts.



Enjoy Your Christmas.



Sincerely,



Dan Wolbert

Sagamore Hills



















To: Denise Ferguson, Rushwood Elementary School



Dear Denise:



I am writing in response to your letter inquiring as to what my memories of Christmas were like for me

when I was a child.



Christmas was a time of giving and sharing with family and friends. Since I am of Italian descent, I come

from a large family, and each and every Christmas all of our family members would come together to

celebrate the holidays and enjoy exchanging gifts.



One of the most precious gifts that I can remember receiving was an erector set which was a toy that you

could build bridges and other unique things. In fact, I still cherish this gift.



Thank you for the letter, and I hope you have enjoyed sharing some of my memories

with me. Sincerely,



Joseph Migliorini Mayor, City of Macedonia



























To: Shawn Bohmuller, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Shawn,



Thank you for your nice letter. In answer to your letter, when I was young and growing up in the 50's,

I can remember one Christmas morning when the whole family got up. We found all kinds of Christmas

presents under the tree. In the corner of the living room was a large box which was addressed to the whole

family. I was the youngest so I got to open it. Inside was our first television set. We were the only family

on the block that had a TV. As you can guess, in those days it was a Black and White.



Merry Christmas. Daniel L. Schade



















To: Rachel, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Rachel:



We were pleasantly surprised to receive your nice letter. We were wondering if you got our name from the Northfield Historical Society?



I will now try to answer some of your questions. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and went to school in East Cleveland, Ohio. Traditionally we would go to church on Christmas Eve. The church always looked real pretty with candles and decorations. The choir always sang such pretty songs. We would celebrate the birth of baby Jesus, God's gift to all of us. On Christmas Day my family and relatives would gather to open our gifts and enjoy a turkey dinner.



My favorite gift from Santa was a small pair of skis. I received these when I was 6-8 years old, about 55 years ago. We had a wondertul sled riding hill by our house and all the children from the neighborhood would come and play on it. Sometimes my father had to work on Christmas and this made me sad.



Mr. Kaiser was born in Parma, Ohio near the current Cuyahoga Community College. When he was a boy this area was very much "country". His Christmas traditions were going to his Grandmother's after church on Christmas Eve with his fainily and relatives. His Grandma had a small tree with "real" candles on it, which was always dangerous. He enjoyed eating his Grandma's cookies and small cakes. His favorite Christmas was when he was about 6-8 years old, about 60 years ago. He received a puppy which he named "Tippy".



Our Christmases were always the best when it snowed. They were not much different than today except we had less presents. But we were always happy. Thank you again for your nice letter. We hope you had a Meny Christmas and a Happy New Year.



Sincerely,



Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kaiser, Northfield



To: Amy Galloway, Rushwood Elementary School





Dear Amy:



I would like to introduce you to my husband and I. My name is Lucille McIntyre. I was born in Bedford, Ohio on Feb.19, 1922 and will be seventy-five years old this coming February.



My husband's name is Hughie McIntyre and he was born in Charleston, West Virginia on Feb.13, 1916 so he will be 81 years old this coming February.



Our Christmas was the same, we did receive a gift from Santa; the boys usually a truck or game called Tinker Toys, we girls usually received a new doll. We would decorate our tree with popcorn and cranberries which we strung together, also paper chains of construction paper. Our stockings were filled with some fruit and nuts.



Our fun time was ice skating and sled riding on the nearest pond. We would gather at different friends' homes for hot chocolate and cookies.



You can see our times were simple, but lots of flin. We did go to the movies occasionally. movie theater was in the Northfield Center Town Hall upstairs.



I could go on with many more things but know you'll see how times have advanced with many modern inventions.



Sincerely,



Lucille and Hughie McIntyre Sagamore Hills

To Tim Cohn, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Tim



Thank you for you interesting inquiry on what my Christmas was like when I was a young boy. I have many,

many memories of all the nice Christmas' I had but would like to share two of them with you.



The first was when I was about 7 years old (1947). We would get up quite early on Christmas morning -

my Dad would put coal in the furnace to warm up the house - we did not have gas heat and automatic

temperature controls as today. Mom would make breakfast, always juice or grapefruit halves, hot cocoa and

a special coffee cake or German kuchen called ""Weihnachts Stollen". This coffee cake is like a bread with f

ruits in it. My Grandmother, who lived in Germany would send it to us every year for our Christmas breakfast.

It was a real treat!! (My Dad was from Germany, coming to the United States in 1928). Before eating breakfast

we would try to peek through the kitchen door to the living room to see the Christmas tree and what Santa

Claus may have left us. Once having eaten breakfast we were allowed to go to the living room to see the

Christmas tree and what Santa Claus may have left us. Once having eaten breakfast we were allowed to go

to the living room to see our gifts. My special gift was a steam engine, no diesel engines in those days. Next

to the engine was a tender car which carried the coal for the engine. This coal was used to fuel the engine on

real trains just like coal was used to heat our home. Next to the tender were three of the shiniest dark green

passenger cars you have ever seen. Each car would light up as the train ran along the track. What a thrill

it was - yes, Tim, my train even had a whistle! My new train was just like the real train I would watch every

night at 6:00 from my house window as it passed over the Ledge Road bridge coming from Cleveland to

Macedonia. It would stop at the Macedonia Railroad Station, which is now long gone, but was located

near the corner of Rt. 82 and South Bedford Road. I still have my train and it still works.



The other Christmas I should like to tell you about took place at the end of World War II. That Christmas

was what Christmas was really all about, even though I was too young to understand.



It was at this time my Dad sent over 100 Christmas packages to his hometown of Uslar, in war-torn Germany.

(You will read later in school about the World War that had taken place and left people with little to eat and

few clothes to keep them warm.) We helped my Dad pack all these packages with food and clothing so others

who had nothing would have a little Christmas joy. While my Dad at that time considered himself an American he never forgot his. family and friends in Germany. Several years later I went with my Dad, Mother and Brother to Germany to meet my Grandparents and my Dad's friends for the first time. As I think back to those times it was unbelievable the people who came to personally say "thanks" for their package which they had received for Christmas several years before. They called my Dad - "Hero".



Tim, as you get older you will always remember receiving your SEGA just like I do my train. But, the real meaning and Spirit of Christmas is the joy in giving to others.



May you and your family have a Happy Holiday Season and a Joyous New Year!!



Sincerely,



Kurt W. Laubinger Macedonia



To: Matt, Rushwood Elementary

Dear Matt,



I was surprised to receive your letter but very glad to learn that your class is doing this project. I think it is

good for young people like yourself to be interested in things of the past. You will find that Christmas of

the past is much like today. We asked Santa for things and were very happy when we got them. Much

like your Christmas last year. The spirit of Christmas has not changed. Good Luck to you and your

classmates in this big undertaking. I will be anxious to see the finished product.



Happy New Year and a good 1997 to you and your friends.



Sincerely



Twila Bakken

Northfield



I grew up in western Pennsylvania on a small farm with two brothers, one sister, a Mom and a Dad. Our

Christmas was very traditional - a large tree flilly decorated with my older brother's Lionel train under the tree.

He still has that train and displays it each year in his home in Arizona. We had a big complete turkey dinner

with lots of home made cookies and candy. Christmas Eve we attended church, hung our stocking and went

to bed. Next morning there were always many presents plus flill stockings. Each one got a toy, a book and

clothes. Not as much money was spent on gifts then as there is now.



One big gift was a Monopoly game and needless to say we had many hours of tun. One year we got a big

new Flyer sled.



My best Christmas was the year I got white leather shoe roller skates (shoe skates). It was a warm day and I skated on the front porch in my new skates on Christmas Day. This was either 1938 or 1939. I used those skates for many years and my sister still remembers them, also.



Our Christmas was not a big thing of gift giving. Rather it was family togetherness. We played games and shared time together. All my childhood Christmases are very happy memories.

To: Steve, Rushwood Elementary



Dear Steve,



How honored we are to be chosen by you to help in your Christmas project. It's very difficult to try to remember when I was young, but I'll try. My best memory of Christmas was my parents would put the tree up after we were asleep Christmas Eve. We believed that Santa brought the tree and the gifts. This was in the 1930's. Our entire family always had Christmas Eve together having the traditional Slovak-Hungarian foods such as mushroom soup (made with Sauerkraut), pierogies and balbalki (little baked rounds of sweet bread dough mixed with sweetened poppy seed). We still keep the tradition to this day. I don't remember any gifts that I received.



Merry Christmas!



Ruth Spade









Dear Steve,



When I was a young man like you are now, Christmas was a big deal to us. Christmas day was a day at Grandma's house with the smell of everything good to eat. Relatives from all over would be there and it sure got crowded. In those days there was no TV so there was more talking and playing with the other kids and the toys that we got under the tree.



The best present that I ever got that I remember to this day was an Erector set. They still have them to this day but they're not as good as the one I had. Mine was made out of steel girders, not plastic like everything today. You could bolt everything with nuts and bolts and make ferris wheels and towers, elevators that went up and down and all kinds of neat things, and it had a motor with gears in it that you could make the ferris wheel turn and the elevator go up and down. This was back in the late 1930's and early 1940's.



Have a happy holiday!



Les Spade

Northfield



To: Brett, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Brett,



It was nice hearing from you. Thank you for your letter



Goosebumps books are also favorites of my two Grandsons! I guess boys really enjoy these books.



Brett, I was a young child during the Depression Era ~our teacher will explain). I remember one Christmas in

particular - I received the book "Little Women" and a sweater. My brother got the book "Robinson Crusoe"

and a shirt. We both loved to read, still do!



You see when I was a young girl, Northfield was a farm community. Most of the people at that time were

farmers. My Dad was the Blacksmith at this time and he took care of all the farmers' horses and equipment.

His name was Frank Simek and was the last Blacksmith for the Northfield area.



Brett, I hope you have a wondertul Holiday Season! I know you will get many presents. It's a much different time now than when I was young.



Yours truly,



Evelyn Derzinski, Northfield























To: Henry Domzalski, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Henry,



What a nice letter you sent to me. To answer the letter, I was born in December 1912, which makes me

84 years old.



I am afraid it has been a long time since I was a little girl and it is hard for me to remember a lot of things

about that time.



We lived on a farm so there wasn't too much money but Christmas was my mother's favorite holiday so she

did try to make everything nice for my father, 2 brothers and me.



We would sing, have a big tree (I don't remember any lights on it though). We had plenty of good food to eat.

We got a few toys - a doll and play dishes and clothes. My brothers got a ball and bat - sled and gloves - things

like that which wasn't much, but we were a happy family.



I do remember going to the church program where the choir sang and the children got a box of hard candy and

an orange.



We always seemed to have lots of snow and cold at Christmas



Though we didn't have the toys, etc., that are around today, my folks taught us that the reason for celebrating Christmas was that it was for the birth of the Christ Child - Jesus, and that is still true today.



Hope this helps you. Happy Holidays!



A friend,



Mrs. Clara Strickler, Macedonia

To: Lacy, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Lacy, What a nice project! You have awakened a flood of memories for me



I was born and raised in Akron. My best memories are from 1930 to 1936



I remember watching my dad turn a sparse, Charlie Brown Christmas tree into a beautiful , sparkling work of wonderment.



I think that my favorite presents were books from my Auntie who lived in New York.



She sent me books written by Louisa May Alcott. When I was reading these books, I would feel like I was

part of the story.



Another memory is going downtown on the day after Thanksgiving to see the beautifbl Christmas scenes in the

store windows.



Every year the windows would be a little different from the year before except for one big corner window.



Santa would be sitting in his big chair, waving at everyone and laughing, Ho-Ho-Ho, and saying,

"Merry Christmas". And the elves would march around his chair carrying all the toys they had made.



Many happy children gazed at this scene every year. I hope I have helped you with your project.



Merry Christmas to you and your classmates - your teacher and your family.



Mrs. Bonnie J. Lube Macedonia

To: Bryan, Rushwood Elementary



Dear Bryan,



I received your nice letter yesterday and will try to give you what information I can remember.



I graduated from Northfield in 1948. It is now the middle school and it housed grades 6 through

12. I had 22 students in my class so we were not only close to our classmates, but practically

everyone in school.



I lived on Valley View Road next to Eaton's Farm and it was very much country with no developments in the area. My family name was Assmus and my father was very active in the community. He was once mayor of Sagamore Hills, Trustee, Justice of the Peace and served many years on the School Board. You will see his name on the plaques in several of the schools.



I was 8 years old when we moved to the "country". It seems like we always had plenty of snow at Christmas and we enjoyed outdoor activities. We did a lot of ice skating and sled riding. We walked through our backyard to Willow Lake which was a picnic area at that time. A group of us would go together and stay until our feet and hands were numb from the cold. Then we would come back home and have hot chocolate and snacks. So I guess one of my favorite Christmas gifts was new white ice skates.



But what I enjoyed most about Christmas was the lights and the smell of my Mother's baking. At that time people did a lot of visiting with family and friends and the house was always full of activity. My favorite thing on Christmas morning was finding my stocking filled. Not with toys, but an orange, candy and nuts.



We had Christmas parties at school and always a Christmas play in our auditorium. It was always a fun time and still is one of my favorite Holiday Seasons.



We always had a live tree which my father set up and put the lights on, then we decorated it. As I said before, I love Christmas lights and my father would take us riding around to see all the houses lighted up. It seemed liked fairy land. On Christmas Eve we were always so excited we could hardly sleep. We got out of bed very early in the morning to open our gifts, had a large dinner with our family and then spent the evenings with relatives and playing with our games, etc. I hope this has been of some help to you. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Yours truly,



Mrs. Eunice Brinkman

To: Anne, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Anne,



You write a very nice letter. I think your class' collection of Christmas memories, as described by some of us older folks, is quite a thoughtful project and I am very pleased to be included.



The "memory" I've selected probably took place in a Christmas season sometime 1922 through

1925.



My folks lived, at the time, on McKinley Avenue in Canton. Two or three doors down the street from us lived a Mrs Sell and her school teacher daughter, Ella. (How my mother and Mrs. Sell became acquainted, I do not know, but they frequently visited back and forth.)



During one Christmas season I remember mother and I were invited to visit the Sells and view their Christmas tree. It was a cut one, with the main branches holding small tin clamps each securing a white wax candle. After we arrived, Ella used a long, rolled, newspaper taper and a match to light each of the candles. She let them burn for a short time so that mother and I could see an old-fashioned candle lighted tree. It was a wondertul sight!



I don't remember of there being any other decoration on the tree. There certainly was no need for any as the many flickering flames danced beautitully. The candles were clamped near the tips of branches and arranged so that no branch overhung a candle - otherwise an immediate fire!



That was the only time I've ever seen a tree decorated with burning candles. I still have a clear mental image of that magnificent tree. I very much appreciate Mrs. Sell's giving me the opportunity to see her tree and to carry the memory of it with me through the rest of my life.



I hope your wish, Anne, for scrunch-in-wear was granted and that you have a most success~l finish to your 1996-1997 school year.



Yours truly



Emalou Brumfield, Sagamore Hills













To: Meredith, Rushwood Elementary



Dear Meredith,



How nice of you to write to me. It is such a busy time and I wish that I had more time for my answer. I was a young child of six in 1925 and all of my memories are a few years before that, and after.



During those years, the world was in a state of economical depression. Sometimes holidays were not so bright for some children; but even though we had very little throughout the year, my parents were always able to contact that dear old Claus man so every Christmas was memorable for me. Let me just recall a few of the happy memories.



My dad climbed to the top of a very tall pine tree and topped it for our Christmas tree.



One time the tree had been put up, but not yet decorated. My sister and I came into the room and our big old tabby cat was all the way at the top - with her green eyes shining. Her name was Midge.



We were all animal lovers and one Christmas eve our dog's puppies got to sleep on our bed.



Before Christmas my sister and I would write our lists to Santa Clause and let them blow up the chimney.



On Christmas morning my dad would come into our room and poke up the fire that he had banked the night before; then he would say, "Hey Madeline and Ernestine, get up and see what old Santa brought." How exciting!



One year my sister wanted a cowboy suit (she was a tomboy). It was called a "Hoot Gibson" suit. There was a note left saying her size was not available, but that it would be sent later, and it was. Many people in our home town still call her "Hoot".



We would take our toys and build a playhouse behind the tree. What a magical time



One year my dad went out for a short time on Christmas day and when he came back he filled a bushel basket full of food and goodies for someone he had talked with and who were needy. That left an impression on me to be compassionate and giving. Bless you, Meredith, and have a joyous holiday.



Sincerely,



Madeline Hawkins, Twinsburg



To: Ethan, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Ethan,



I am writing in response to your request. I hope it is not too late, but I didn't get your letter until a couple of

days before Christmas.



My favorite tradition at Christmas is cutting down my own tree and then putting it up. We go to a tree farm on

Ledge road and tramp around in the mud or snow until we find just the right tree. I like the idea of going to a

tree farm because as soon as trees are cut, new ones are planted.



My favorite Christmas memory was when I was 6 years old. That would have been in 1946. I wanted a gun for

Christmas just like you wanted a Nerf gun. We didn't have much money so there was only one present on

Christmas morning. Imagine how happy my brother and I were when we each got toy six-shooters with a belt

and holster.



I hope I have given you the information that you needed.



Sincerely,



Ann Noe

Northfield



P.S. I hope you got your Nerf gun for Christmas.



To: Chris Russo, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Chris,



I am so sorry I could not write you sooner. I was very tied up in Xmas this year. My brother and wife

came in the week before Xmas and I have been busy until now.



I'll put my experience on the next page.



Wanda Csoma

Northfield









Chris, I was born on a big farm in Geauga County - Parkman, Ohio - on Rutland Road off the Nelson Road.

You might say we lived above Nelson Ledges.



My parents had six children; two older boys, my sister and I, and 2 younger brothers, on an 89 acre farm.



One year money was very tight and mom told us not to expect much for Xmas.



We had the surprise of life Xmas morning - a big blackboard with chalk and eraser was on our dining room wall.



One of my older brothers was a very good artist and he started making tunny pictures on the board. We laughed so much.... The board was made out of a big piece of tin, painted with coats of black; the last coat was dull black. The wooden frames had a ledge for chalk on the bottom.



I have more stories about that farm - so sorry I am late.







To: Wesley, Rushwood Elementary





Dear Wesley,



First, I apologize for not having this letter written earlier. I had company from Thanksgiving until yesterday. Secondly, I was born and brought up in Western Pennsylvania, so I don't know if the information would be of interest to the Historical Society. However, I'll tell you a little of my young Christmases when I was about your age and younger. It might be of interest to you and your classmates.



(Circa 1932)

It is going to be difficult for any of you to understand, since even the poorest (financially) of you are infinitely better off than I (and many others), since I grew up during the worst years of the Depression. And there were no social programs then (coats for kids, shoes for kids, toys for kids, food stamps, welfare) to help out. We did have a small Christmas tree adorned mostly with homemade ornaments. My father made a large star out of tin cans. It was three-dimensional with parts cut out over which he glued colored cellophane paper and a place for a Christmas tree light that shone out reflecting the different colors of the cellophane. Occasionally, the school, or the church gave us popcorn balls wrapped in colored cellophane which we kept and guarded to keep the star in repair.



As poor as we were, Santa Claus always visited on Christmas Eve. The one visit that I treasure to this day found Santa's bag empty except for an orange. It is not this that I treasure, but my father's (Santa's) words. "Girlie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I have nothing for you. Times are hard; they're hard all over." Of course I was disappointed. (Even then there was the myth that if you were good, you'd get gifts). But some of the disappointment was lessened by knowing that the next day I would be going to my grandmother's. All of my maternal aunts and uncles and their children (my cousins) would be there. Some of my relatives were better off than we, but not well-enough off to help us. Even so, how my grandmother afforded to do what she did I never found out.



She had a big old house (how I wish I could tell you all about the house and what made it magic for me, not just at Christmas time, but always. But that would digress from the purpose of this letter). The ceilings were ten feet high downstairs and the Christmas tree reached almost to the ceiling. And what wondertul decorations! Recently, the blown-glass ornaments are again popular

- brightly-colored wise men, angels, figures, fruits. And grandmother's tree was covered with them. But the ornaments I remember the most were pink and white marshmallow figures. I haven't seen any today to equal these.



This was just the start. All through the house were dishes of homemade fondant candy of every flavor and color and dates stuffed with fondant or English walnuts. But we children were told in no uncertain words absolutely ~ to touch so much as one piece. Now, to a child who never saw candy, except in stores, this was very hard to do. Not until I was a grown woman did I

To: Wesley, continued





understand why, if my grandmother didn't want us to have the candy, did she put it where we could reach it. (She knew it would taste better if we could "sneak" a piece or two. And we did!)



The aromas of the cooking dinner filled the house, our noses, and even reached to our stomachs making them ache with anticipated pleasure. Now, you must try to imagine our usual meals. We had meat only once a week (if that often). During corn season (we had a very large garden), our supper was exclusively corn. Toward Spring when the food my mother had canned was almost gone, we had stewed tomatoes and bread. There were no cookies, ice cream, soda pop, potato chips, etc., etc., etc. Oh, they existed, but not in my world. If you can't imagine my world as a youngster, you won't be able to understand why the meal, the penultimate joyous memory, seemed something magical produced by a genie.



There was roast chicken and gravy, and stuffing, and mashed potatoes, noodles, boiled potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, baked lima beans, more green and yellow vegetables than I can enumerate, pickled eggs and beets, and individual molded perfection salads for each person (at least 40). I did not like it at all, but it was so beautiful and so unlike anything I knew, that I ate it just because it was so beautiful.



And then the dessert! Dark fruit cake, white fruit cake, angel food cake, chocolate cake and each person got a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This would be enough, but I have already alluded to the ultimate joy. After the dishes were done and the last pot and pan washed and put away, everyone gathered in the living room, the grown-ups on the sofa and chairs, the children on the floor. The sliding doors were closed and the air became still. Then, very far away at first, then closer and closer came the sound of sleigh bells and then the unmistakable "Ho-Ho-Ho" and Santa was there! The gifts were little insignificant nothings, but each was wrapped. And then everybody got a home-made popcorn ball and a box of the homemade candy in addition to some "store-bought" chocolate candy. Too soon Santa said good-bye and we were squeezed into my uncle's Model T for the two hour trip home. That was both happy and sad. Happy because our tummies were full both with food and magic; and sad because it was over and we would have to wait a whole year before it happened again. Again, I hope you have enjoyed sharing these memories with me.



Sincerely, with love,



Mrs. Margaret Pristou, Northfield