Christmas Eve 1945

In 1945 I was seven years old and I have vivid memories of how this day evolved.  Most of the afternoon was spent getting ready for church and later gift opening.

Each of us boys, Gary age 14 and Keith age 11, were given one gift to open that afternoon.  In every instance the gift was something we were to wear to church that evening, like shoes or a shirt, something like that.

We ate early and then headed for a Christmas Eve childrens' service, which was always the same.  The Sunday School classes sat on the altar at the small frame Redeemer Lutheran church, where each class stood to recite the Biblical Christmas story.  We spoke in unison.  You know, "....and Mary pondered....".  Interspersed with the class recitations were the Christmas carols like Away in a Manger and O Little Town of Bethlehem.

As we finished the program and exited the sanctuary we were handed a brown paper sack which contained an apple, nuts, some candy, and a small gift like a book mark and something like that.

After church we returned home to the much anticipated opening of presents. Since we were living in Manitowoc at this time we were joined by Uncle Ed Ehlert and Aunt Ella.  It seems to me that Uncle George and Aunt Nora Winkler and their family often drove from Milwaukee to spend Christmas Eve with us, unless the weather wasn't cooperating.

Our Christmas tree was a freshly cut balsam tree decorated with ornaments and tinsel and of course electric lights.

This joyful event was followed church the following morning.  My Mother played the organ and so we had to get to church early for her to prepare her music.  The three of us boys sat with Dad in church.  This was like a regular service with readings, hymns, and a sermon, all related to the Christmas story, of course.

After church we returned home and quickly packed the car for a trip to Iola where Mom's parents lived.  This took a couple of hours as all the roads were two lanes and we went through many towns along the way.  Of course, the weather was often an issue with ice and snow packing the roadways.

The reception at Iola was always exciting led by Grandma and Grandpa Benson and Aunts Violet and Jeanette and cousin John Gurholt.  They lived together in a large brown two-story house on south Main street.

All of my memories of Christmas in Iola are of cold, snow-covered landscapes. Here was my first memory of how snow squeaked when we walked on it.

The house was heated by a large black wood stove in the kitchen where Grandma Benson cooked everything there.  The heat was shared with upstairs rooms through grates in the ceilings.  Some first floor rooms were closed off in the winter to conserve heat, like the parlor or living room.  They lived in the kitchen, dining room and a room which today we would call a family room.

We slept upstairs in one of several bedrooms.  By morning the room was very cold and when we got up the frigid floor was painful to our feet.  If only we could get to the kitchen to warm up without touching the floor.  In the kitchen, Grandma would be tending the fire in the stove and preparing food for breakfast.

They had a decorated tree like ours, except that it was very sparse with fewer branches and decorations.  You could see right through the tree.  It was like a "Charlie Brown" tree.

We stayed in Iola for several days nearly up to New Year's Day.  As kids we were anxious to get back home so we could play with the presents we had opened on Christmas Eve, but didn't bring along to Iola.