Looking back at Christmases past

From Ila McClenahan

Christmas is a time that prompts recollections of holidays long ago.

Ila McClenahan, the pastoral care and activities director at Northern Montana Care Center, talked to some residents about past Christmases they remember.

These may rekindle recollections other people have.

Yvonne B. - My grandpa rode horseback up to the mountains and cut down our tree.  We used candles. After the power company came in we were able to use electric lights. My grandpa was very good at telling stories. In the wintertime we had wonderful hills to sled on. My grandpa made homemade sleds for us. We lived out in the country and always had something to do. My mom learned to cook at boarding schools. She made pies, Christmas candy, taffy, fudge, divinity, turkey, stuffing and potatoes. One year I got a rubber doll for Christmas. My aunt came with her two kids and dog and that was the end of my rubber doll. We always went to church on Christmas Eve.

Thomas W. - I got a Red Rider BB gun. My brother grabbed the gun and the BB got loose and shot me in the eye.  Couldn't go to school for a week. We still kept the BB gun. We learned to be careful not to point it at anybody.

Annabelle T. - We saved all our Christmas tree ornaments so we could use them year after year.  We went to the mountains to get our tree. We went to church at the Mission. We put a star on top of the tree.

Elizabeth G. - At school we made Christmas gifts for friends and school children and parents. One day we wrapped all day before Christmas came. We wrapped and passed them out.  Our home was a very special day of fun and eating special food. Christmas - we all enjoyed the week.

Ardyce J. - We lived on a farm in Froid, Montana. Our tree at Christmas was lit with real candle lights so we had to light them just before presents and then blow out the lights after we were finished opening the presents. When REA (Rural Electric Association) came in, we could have electric lights!

Glenn K. - I grew up in Minnesota on a farm. There was a field full of little trees and we would wade in snow waist deep looking for the perfect tree. Christmas morning we had to wait for Dad to finish milking the cows before we opened the presents. It was a long wait.

Margaret B. - On Christmas Day my granddaughter and her boyfriend came to the family dinner. We were swapping stories, eating goodies and just having a very nice time. Her boyfriend went up to her and got down on one knee and proposed in front of everyone. What a great surprise. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Colleen T. - I remember one Christmas morning I opened a package and it was a beautiful doll that I got from my parents.  I played with her until she fell apart.

Alice M. - My mother died in 199,  but the year before that we spent Christmas together and she always ate her dessert first. She loved to tease the great grand-children with her cane by pretending to hit them and the kids would laugh. Mom would talk in German so no one could understand her during card games with her friend.

Cindy V. - I got my first bike when I was five years old. It was an adult size and I was told I couldn't ride it until spring came.  So me, being "a daredevil," I rode it down the basement steps and crashed. My dad hung it up and didn't let me have it until spring.

Lila L. - On the afternoon before Christmas Dad would hitch the team to the sleigh and we would go to the hillside covered with fir trees. We would climb to the top of the hill looking for the perfect Christmas tree. We took the tree home and decorated it before Santa came. We brought the tree in and decorated it with a lot of pretty glass ornaments and garland. We ate a lot of divinity and fudge while Mom fixed supper. Santa came during the night. Christmas morning we opened our gifts and saw the presents Santa had left. My favorite gift was a porcelain doll with real hair named "Betty Jo."

Ethel C. - I remember going to town and picking out a Christmas tree with my family. On Christmas morning all the beautiful gifts were under the tree so we could open them.

Bill L. - We opened our presents on Christmas Eve, and I got a train set. We set it up in our basement. Christmas Day our family would get together. I had a lot of relatives. I tried to ice skate one but didn't do very good. Merry Christmas to everyone.

Toni H. - My family would get together. We discovered new interests and talents. My family came from all over the world. It was great to meet all of them.

Vivian B. - My favorite memory is setting up the Christmas tree then putting some presents under it after we decorated it. Sending out the Christmas cards. Seeing some family members and friends and eating all the good food like pies and the fry bread.

Joyce S. - My favorite Christmas memory is a little baby doll. I named him Billy. On Christmas Day and Christmas Eve we had fireworks. Santa always came. We always had Christmas dinner together and had a traditional meal. We always hung up our stockings and they were filled with walnuts, oranges, hard candy, small toys and little dolls.

Julie T. - I remember my daddy getting a paper bag to put all of the used wrapping paper in. Having dinner and getting together with family. Going with my family to Christmas Day church service really early in the morning. Opening gifts on Christmas Eve and some on Christmas Day. I always wrapped my gifts in the funny papers. My mom hid our presents then forgot where she hid them, but my sister Jeanne knew.