A.L. Laibe - told in Nov. 2011
About Christmas on East Third Street, 1929 - 1934:
When I was a little girl, we lived on East Third
Street in Ottawa. One year mom told my brother and I
there was not much money for presents. She told us
we would only receive our Christmas Stocking. Which,
in those days was one of our own stockings which we
would hang up. (We did not have any of the fancy
Christmas Stockings of today) Usually we would
receive an orange and maybe some candy, if we could
afford it. She told us our little sister was going to get a
tin dish set this year that she had admired.
My brother and I thought that was just fine. We had a
nice Christmas.
Dad always made sure somehow that we got an
orange in our stocking because he always did the
grocery shopping. Some of those years were so lean,
there was no Christmas tree. One year, dad did the
grocery shopping on Christmas Eve. It was closing
time at the grocery when he finished and was ready
to leave. The grocer was aware he had no tree and
gave him the decorated tree they had in the store.
My what a special Christmas, we had a tree when we
thought it was going to be a Christmas without one.
About Happenings on East Third, 1930 - 1937:
We had a sister born in 1930 and a brother born in
1937 while we lived on East Third. I remember the new
sister must have been about 3 or 4 years old and was
going to run away because she was mad at somebody
or all of us.  She must have
gotten over it because she is till with us. |
R.J. Martin - told in Nov. 2011
About Happenings on East Third, 1930 - 1937:
Our sister who was about 3 or 4 years old got mad
and was running away. She had put on her good hat and
coat and was heading out the door. Mom told her to wait
a minute and packed a paper bag with some extra clothes,
which she gave her to take along. She took the bag,
stomped out the door, and procceded to go down the
steps. It was winter and ice was on the steps. She
stomped on the first step, slipped and fell down the steps
to the sidewalk. She got up, came back up the steps and
into the house. She never ran away again!
About Christmas in the country, 1936 - 1945:
At Grandma Hornungs when we were little, we always
sat on the stairs and visited except when it was our time
to eat. You were never allowed to go up stairs.
After we moved there, we could go upstairs but not into
Uncle Neil's bedroom.
Christmas dinner was always the noon meal. The men
always ate first, then the kids. The women always ate last
and visited till it was time to clean the kitchen. Sometimes
we would stay for supper also. (This was of course before
mom and dad had moved to Grandma's to help her.)
One time, I beleive I was watching Kenny and he was very
hungry and wanted something to eat. The men were still
at the table eating and I was told he would just have to wait
till it was the kids turn. You did not interupt the mens
meal to feed anybody. |
M.L. Johnson - Nov. 2011
About Christmas in the country, 1936 - 1940:
Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Hornung's was
always great. There was a living room, huge kitchen, and
bedroom downstairs. When we were little, before we
moved there, we were never allowed to go upstairs.
Back to Christmas -
Most all of mom's brothers, sisters and families came
home for Christmas dinner. The men were fed first and
then went into the living room to visit, next came us kids,
then the big boys went outside to play, we little ones sat
on the stairs and visited. The women ate last and sat and
visited.
About Christmas on Sherman Street, 1950 - 1970's:
I do believe we even tried the Grandma Hornung
setting arrangement at Mom and Dad Croy's (Ray and
Louise that is) They had a tiny, tiny kitchen (where
everybody wanted to visit, and Mom would say,
“go sit down”), dining room, living room, small bedroom
downstairs at that time. We all brought food to share.
I remember their tinsel tree - I thought it was ugly. But
there we were all of us, kids and all and had a great time.
The grandkids (all 31 of them) always got $2.00 in an
envelope from Grandpa and Grandma, they thought this
was great. We always got $20.00 as a couple. The year
Bill passed away, I was hoping I would still get $20
because I could have really used it, but I got $10. Still
really appreciated it though.
About Christmas after Sherman Street, 1970's - 1980's:
Eventually we moved our Christmas around, and
toward last I believe we had it at Ken and Barb's -
they had the bigger place.
One time when it was my turn to have Christmas,
Jack and kids were living with me then - which made a
full house - we went the night before to Barb and Ken's
house, to have our turn for Family Christmas at their
house. We stayed over night and helped get ready for
the next day.
I remember the year we had it up at the Hotel -
didn't like that arrangement. None of us did.
When it was at Bing and Mary's, Bing usually
baked a ham. His hams were always so good. After it
was baked, he cut up onion slices and put on it. It
gave it a great taste.
COUSIN MEMORIES:
l. "Sally" (Selhorst) Siefker - Nov. 2011
Grandma Hornung always made sure you had one of
her big sugar cookies. Nobody seemed to make them
as good!
FOOTNOTE:
Both of our parents died in December of 1984, Mom
was 84 and Dad was 88. Our oldest brother died in 1999
at the age of 77. We were fortunate to have enjoyed
many years together as a family. The rest of us, 88, 85,
80, and 74, still have a lot of work to do and are still
around.
What a joy it was for my three sisters and I, to
have visited and dusted off our memories to set up this
webpage. Everyday more cobwebs disappear and
reminds each of us of the joys of our family. The four of
us visit regularly. |
