Holiday Events-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

L-R  Mom, Travis, Kirsten, Dad-Christmas 2010

Week 51.  Holiday Events.  Where did your family gather for Christmas or Hanukkah as a child?  Which family members and friends attended the event?

Christmas Eve was the time for our family's celebration.  Every year we would attend our church's Sunday School Christmas Program and church services.  The program never varied over the years.  It was the retelling of the Christmas Story.  Joseph and Mary, The Manger, Wisemen, and shepherds were the stars of this story.  Christmas Carols were sung.  The evening ended with ushers passing out paper lunch size sacks filled with shelled peanuts, hard filled Christmas candy, and chocolate drops.  

Pre-1966, my mom, dad, sister-Linda, and myself would arrive home to find that Santa had visited while we were in church.  Christmas Eve was also special as we were allowed to have pop as a treat.  My dad would have to go to the liquor store to purchase it. 

My younger sister, Nancy, was born in 1966 and my brother, Neil, in 1968.  Christmas Eve traditions continued, pretty much unchanged, until my parents moved to Texas in 1981.  We were only able to visit once for Christmas in Texas.

I don't remember ever celebrating Christmas with anyone other than my immediate family.  No visit to the grandparent's homes.  We lived hours from them and just didn't visit at Christmas.

My husband, children, along with their spouse or significant other, and I still go to my parent's house and celebrate on Christmas Eve.  We don't go to the Sunday School program anymore, but we have a family dinner with the opening of gifts afterwards.  I don't even want to think about the day when this family tradition changes.  I treasure each and every one of them. 

Hattie's Bible: In Memory of Zealton Fenn

Zealton Fenn, the son of Daniel C. Fenn and Elizabeth Ann Poor, was born 19 November 1850.  He died 15 December 1908 in Big Rapids, Mecosta, Michigan, at the age of 58.  The cause of death was obstruction of bowels with a strangulated hernia. 

This picture of Zealton Fenn was found in Hattie's Bible.  "My oldest brother" is written on the back of the photo in what I am guessing is Hattie's handwriting.

James V. Tyson-Tombstone Tuesday

JAMES V TYSON

SM3  US NAVY

WORLD WAR II

APR 14, 1925   MAY 5, 1995

JOAN A. TYSON

FEB 5 1930   MAY 27 2005

James V. Tyson is the son of Victor Tyson and Adeline Glover. 

James and his wife, Joan, are buried in Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, Michigan.

Holiday Gifts-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

Week 50.  Holiday Gifts.  Describe any memorable Christmas or Hanukkah gifts you received as a child.

Christmas 1961-ish

I love the expression of excitement on my face in this picture.  I don't remember this Christmas, per se, but I do remember that suitcase.  It was for doll clothes.  I think it was red in color, with a white handle and two flip closures.   It must have been a doll accessory Christmas as there is a high chair in the background.

Other favorite childhood Christmas gifts include:  Larry the Lion, Barbie's friend, Midge, Board games (Candy Land, Uncle Wiggly, Life, and Monopoly) and a cupboard for play dishes.  Anyone else remember getting furniture that was made of cardboard?  Things sure have changed.  

First Street: Those Places Thursday

Harbor Beach, Michigan

This is probably my favorite place to live.  I loved this house.  This house had character, from the leaded glass windows to the beautiful wood trim and doors, it was charming.  The two rooms on the left of the picture were warm and cheery.  The downstair's rooms included a living room, dining room, sun room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.  Upstairs had three bedrooms, a sun room, bathroom and landing area.

We lived in this home for two years.  My memories of this house include:

•  Summer carnival days in front of our house
• Walking to school and meeting my boyfriend halfway and walking together
• A beautiful lilac tree outside the back door
• Parties that my parents had; have you ever seen your principal drunk?
• Doing homework at the snack bar in the kitchen
• Closing up my bedroom over the porch in the winter and moving to another room to sleep
• High school graduation day
 

Leona Fredrick Graf Wagoner: Sunday's Obituary

Source:  Manistee News Advocate-Manistee Daily Advocate, 22 April 1996, page 2; column 4 and 5, microfilmed owned by Manistee Public Library, Manistee Michigan.

Leona Wagoner

1926-1996

Leona Inez Wagoner, 69, of Bear Lake, died Sunday, April 21, 1996 at West Shore Hospital, Manistee.

She was born 5 Dec 1926 in Brethren, the daughter of Otto and Daisy (Graf) Fredricks. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the Ladies Aid, Onekama; the DAV Auxiliary, Manistee; and graduated as a LPN from Northwestern Michigan college of Nursing in 1966. She worked for many years for Dr. Arnold Graham in his Bear Lake office.

Surviviors include her husband, Robert Wagoner; her son and daughter-in-law, Ronald and Lynn; her grandson, Cody Graf; her sisters, Kathryn Pihl, Kaleva, Lola Brown, Brethren, Marie (Walter) Kurth, Smith River, Calif., Audrey (Bruce) Glover, Portage, Jean (Leslie) Kaskinen, Bellaire; her brothers, Otto (Margaret) Fredricks, Kaleva, Richard (Marilyn) Fredericks, Brethren, John (Louise) Fredricks, Blanchard and Ray (Alyce) Fredricks, Caledonia, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Raymond Graf in 1971, brothers, Harold and Norman Fredricks; and nephews Mark Kaskinen, Michael Fredricks, and Richard Fredericks.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Onekama, with the Rev. Paul Pollatz officiating. Burial will be in the Onekama Village Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 7-9 Tuesday at the Terwilliger Funeral Home, P.C., Kaleva.

Memorials may be given to the American Diabetes Association. Envelopes are available at the Terwilliger Funeral Home, Kaleva.



1968 A Year of Assassinations-52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

Week 49.  Historical Events.  Describe a memorable national historical event from your childhood.  How old were you and how did you process this event?  How did it affect your family?

1968

My ten year old self remembers being frightened by the news of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on 4 April 1968 and a few weeks later of  Robert Kennedy of 6 June 1968.  I think this is the first memory of world events that I have. 

I was visiting a friend when the TV network broke in to tell of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.  I said I had to go and ran across the street to my home.  I don't know why I felt that way, I just did.  I wasn't one to watch the news at that time and didn't really understand the implications of his death.  I just knew it was something big. 

A few weeks later, I woke up one morning and wandered into my parent's bedroom.  They were listening to the radio.  They were talking about someone named Sirhan Sirhan.  I remember asking my parents what they were listening too.  They said that Robert F. Kennedy had been shot.  I don't think I knew who he was, but again I felt it must be big news.

I think having my parents talk about what happened helped me to process the event at the time.  They did it without alarming me.   

Although, neither of these events affected my family, or me personally, it helped me to understand that there were bad people in this world.  Later, when I studied the importance of these two events as they related to race relations, I remembered the news stories.  This was the beginning of my interest in current events.

Church Window Cookies-Family Recipe Friday

Church Window Cookies

12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 stick margarine
1-10 ½ ounce bag colored marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1-7 ounce package shredded coconut

Melt chocolate chips and butter, stirring to prevent burning.  Let cool enough so marshmallows don’t melt.  Add nuts and marshmallows. 

Divide into two portions on wax paper.  Spread with coconut.  Roll on wax paper to form rolls.  Each roll will be about 14 inches.

Store rolls in refrigerator until cold and set.

Slice as needed.