Christmas Memories

[Donny M]

Here's one of mine. Sitting on my grandfather's lap while he read "Twas The Night Before Christmas" this was Christmas of 1959.



Do you have any to share

[Scott]

wow Donny I didnt know they had christmas back in 1959

[beaconlight]

Yes they had Christmas in 1959. I was in Port Heiden Alaksa. It 453 miles west south west of Anchorage, out on the Aleutians. They had Christmas as far back as 1937. I don't really remember the ones before I was 5 years old.

Bill

[Carm]

I remember sitting on the plastic covered furniture at my Grandmother's house. The place was always cold, she cussed alot, and was a fantastic cook. Eye-talian cook that is. We were always stuffed to the gills! Merry Christmas

[Bigdog]

I remember the Christmas of 1957 when I got a Lionel Electric train. I still have most of it.

[beaconlight]

Heck Big Dog the reason I remember 1937 is because of the Lionel's.

Bill

[Carm]

I have my grandfather's Lionel set. I need to display it in the house somewhere

[Kodiak]

My youngest son (25) has my Lionel around his Christmas tree. I think I got in around 60,or 61. It's made a lot's of run's around many a Christmas tree with my brother and me looking on

[Don McCombs]

I've still got my Lionel trains and they're set up right now.

[400lbsonacubseatspring]

Every year, Donny, I would get an Orange in my Christmas Stocking.

I thought this odd, as I got older, as I really didn't like them, and we always had plenty of fresh fruit in the house at all times, and once the Santa "thing" had past, I asked my Grandmother, why all the oranges all these years?

She said that when she was a girl, around 1900, oranges were terribly expensive, costing every bit as much as a new doll, or a dress. Her mother would put the oranges in the little kids' stockings (there were 13 of them total), because they still believed in Santa, and traditionally Santa ALWAYS brought good boys and girls oranges. The older kids, being past the age of santa, got no orange, and her mother would tell the little ones, it was because the older kids were bad....

She told me now that I was "bad", I wouldn't get any more oranges....

My father, having died when I was an infant. I lived with my grandparents until after their death some 30 years ago. They embodied what Christmas and Family was all about to me. I had "faith" in God and Christ because my Grandmother's faith was so strong.

In a family that has spent 10 generations in the same little valley, one would think traditions would be easy to hold onto, but they are not.

All I have left are the memories, but they will be enough to see me to my rest one day.

For most of us, we come into the world with a great many people who love us, and we feel that love most abundantly at Christmas. If we are lucky, like you Donny, we pick up more along the way, to replace those we've lost.

If not, one Christmas Day we wake up and realize that those who have loved us most have gone, and the amount of love received is much less than the love we give.

And so friends, never turn your back to someone who loves you, no matter how busy you are. Gather loved ones about you as one would gather farmall cubs. There is no better measure of a man than how much he is loved.

Best wishes to you all for a New Year filled with everything you wish for.

And may God Bless and Keep BigDog, far far away from our cubs.

[Paul_NJ]

Yes they had Christmas in 1959. I was in Port Heiden Alaksa. It 453 miles west south west of Anchorage, out on the Aleutians. They had Christmas as far back as 1937. I don't really remember the ones before I was 5 years old.

Bill

Bill

Did you live there as a child, or were you stationed in the military? My father spent 4 years in the Aleutian Islands during WWII as an Army officer. He never spoke about it much when I was a kid, but I imagine it was pretty desolate. But considering he apparently was transfered there from the unit (First Army I believe) that went to North Africa and eventually into D Day, it was certainly the better of options.

I'd appreciate any information about the area - wish I could have him back to ask.

Thanks

Paul

[Paul_NJ]

Every year, Donny, I would get an Orange in my Christmas Stocking.

I thought this odd, as I got older, as I really didn't like them, and we always had plenty of fresh fruit in the house at all times, and once the Santa "thing" had past, I asked my Grandmother, why all the oranges all these years?

She said that when she was a girl, around 1900, oranges were terribly expensive, costing every bit as much as a new doll, or a dress. Her mother would put the oranges in the little kids' stockings (there were 13 of them total), because they still believed in Santa, and traditionally Santa ALWAYS brought good boys and girls oranges. The older kids, being past the age of santa, got no orange, and her mother would tell the little ones, it was because the older kids were bad.... :shock:

She told me now that I was "bad", I wouldn't get any more oranges.... :D

My father, having died when I was an infant. I lived with my grandparents until after their death some 30 years ago. They embodied what Christmas and Family was all about to me. I had "faith" in God and Christ because my Grandmother's faith was so strong.

In a family that has spent 10 generations in the same little valley, one would think traditions would be easy to hold onto, but they are not.

All I have left are the memories, but they will be enough to see me to my rest one day.

For most of us, we come into the world with a great many people who love us, and we feel that love most abundantly at Christmas. If we are lucky, like you Donny, we pick up more along the way, to replace those we've lost.

If not, one Christmas Day we wake up and realize that those who have loved us most have gone, and the amount of love received is much less than the love we give.

And so friends, never turn your back to someone who loves you, no matter how busy you are. Gather loved ones about you as one would gather farmall cubs. There is no better measure of a man than how much he is loved.

Best wishes to you all for a New Year filled with everything you wish for.

And may God Bless and Keep BigDog, far far away from our cubs.

400

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts. I found them very moving. You're so right, Christmas seems so much more than any other time, a time to reflect back upon poignant memories. It's amazing sometimes to hear those of someone else, and have them trigger one's own.

My mother's family provided me 10 cousins, and every year we would gather at one aunt's house for Christmas Eve. It was the same each year, and a great time to catch up on each other's lives. The families gathered in that way for 35 years, and some years braving snowstorms to get there. My mother was determined to not miss the family party and there were times we'd have to strap tire chains on the wheels, and get out to shovel thru a snow drift when we'd get stuck along the way. My most vivid memory was one particular Christmas Eve when I was probably 5 years old. We had just packed the opened presents and leftovers into our car after the party, and about to leave for the 15 mile trip home. It was about 11:00 and starting to snow. My father had made a joking comment to the effect of "it's so late, we'd better get home so we don't meet Santa Claus along the way, because if he see's you up so late he may not come to our house".

Amazingly, just moments later, looking out of the window of the back seat of our 51 Plymouth I caught sight of Santa Claus coming around the side of my aunt's neighbor's house! It was dark, and it was snowing pretty hard, but I could make him out. And he was carrying a big sack on his back! You can imagine the shock of a 5 year old! I can remember quickly hiding down below the rear window for most of the way home so he wouldn't see me. That image stayed with me for years. I secretly held onto a belief in Santa Claus longer that I would otherwise have done because of that unexplainable experience.

Years later my mother confided how she too had been surprised and called my aunt the next day to tell her what we had seen. What she found out was that their next door neighbor, who was a large man, dressed up as Santa each year and carried a sack of presents into his own children as part of their Christmas celebration. I certainly thought he was the real thing!

Unfortunately, when my aunt died, that family tradition wasn't continued, as the other cousins went on to have their own family gatherings. I thought it would last forever: 35 years of tradition is a long time, but not everyone has the same sensitivity to such things I suppose. But the memories live on and I'm thankful for the memories. They are what I think about on Christmas Eve. I hope I can provide other memories that will be meaningful for my own kids.

[Donny M]

Exactly why the thread was started, thanks fellas

Glad to see you back, Tom

[beaconlight]

Paul I was there for Western Electric Defanse Projects. We instaaled Radar and Communications for the DEW Line extension in the Aleutians. It was called operation Blue Grass. There arre a large number of Abandoned WWII military bases. I was mostly at Port Heiden (Indian name MeshiK). We were a ways inland past an old Air Base. There were 46 Alute Indians in the village near the beach. The old Patriarch of the Village was Olah Matsen, a Norwegan shipwrecked there in 1909. He had been on a sealing ship lost in a storm and was the only survivor. Except for Mother, Father, and 1 son who (Willie last name) were believed to be 100% Alute Indian, every one else was part Russian, Scandaniavian and Indian. There were Matsons, Christiansens and Carlsons that I remember. The guy that ran the Airport for Reeves Aleutian Airways was Don Reed. He had been Stationed there and married one of the girls from the village. I helped build a new 2 room school while there. I worked at Cold Bay, and Cape Serachef too. (May have that spelling wrong) It was in 1959, 1960. We sat and drank beer New Years eve. At 453 miles from the nearest town it got lonely. Fortunately I sent My checks home to Bev so that when I got home we were able to buy a house. In that respect I was luckey. Some of the guys got go further north make more money. It was Quite an experience. I could go on all day.

Bill

[Jack fowler]

400lbsonacubseatspring and Paul_NJ,

Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts! You have a way in your writing(s) to make one reflect.


400lbsonacubseatspring wrote:

For most of us, we come into the world with a great many people who love us, and we feel that love most abundantly at Christmas. If we are lucky, like you Donny, we pick up more along the way, to replace those we've lost.

If not, one Christmas Day we wake up and realize that those who have loved us most have gone, and the amount of love received is much less than the love we give.

And so friends, never turn your back to someone who loves you, no matter how busy you are. Gather loved ones about you as one would gather farmall cubs. There is no better measure of a man than how much he is loved.

This is so well said. I just need to start practicing it. Thank you for posting it!!!

May God bless everyone, peace be with you and have a great New Year.

Jack Fowler