The Huron Expositor, 1981-12-23, Page 27I+
BOW
MIMS
A time of joy,
a time of happiness
and, above all,
a time of true
brotherhood
and love.
SHINEN'S
MEN'S & LADIES'
WEAR
Seaforth
MILDRED M. [GALLOP] Christmas 55 years ago. One
BARNES, MITCHELL of "those five Gallop girls".
Well do I remember that of whom I was the second
dor. ii. ;taralawasampokkosesokiim ime,::kmeaumwo.tk imi,...16.
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Another year is beginning
we hope it's a good one for you!
REGIER TRANSPORT
527-1740
Itirmaral aierAirraBRIterAltalrairlierarramtaareacrage..
Our warmest of wishes are extended
to you and your entire family
for a-Merry Christmas!
May the feelings of brotherhood,
love, peace and tranquility
last throughout the year!
!•4
youngest, brought home the
dreased Scarlet Fever, from
High School. and another, not
to be outdone, contracted the
Red Measles.
.There we.were,
Mother, with five daughters,
and a huge red "Quarantine"
placard on our front (Igor,
warning all to keep out.
GrandmaRoach moved in,
and all the kindly neighbors:
relations; no doubt the whore—
Mt. Pleasant church (which
Was THE COMMUNITY) in
those days; the village
grocer, George Grant: all did
what they could = from a
-distance.
Our good family Doctor
Campbell came and went,
sharing What medicines he
had, also his magazines, fruit
and good cheer (not liquid).
We remember him reading
school poems to us, taking
precious minutes from hectic
"horse and buggy doctor"
days.
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At Christmas, be met'',' and thankful witha,, And
feast with thy neighbors, the great and the small
The Province of Ontario
Savings Office
MINISTRY OF REVENUE"
SEAFORTH
Best Wis.hes from Keith Haman, manager,
Mrs. Clara Bragger, accountant
and staff
Ontario'
"47113f
*es iletribre • 0404
. , .
and
ESS
[he Spirit of Christmas is • • '!t-a•:•,..f tz
• _ ..•• • ):::•eiierywhere touching all
• •• -earthly creatures with its
magic and warmth. We
share this Spirit with our ,,,.,;',,.,, 0- ,,,;.' \-4,,a,
-J11.n - s.,d .,...' friends and wish you a •..//..a6 "•\:• ., ,..0 ,".' •
f',1 4 ' 7.41'....., wonderful holiday season +
43
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"to AND
. BEST WISHES IN
,.0 ---%'•THE NEW YEAR
Our gratitude to all.
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Roy 8 Helen 8 Staff
LOGAN
FARM EQUIPMENT LTD.
• R.R. 5 Mitchell
(
347-2691
.,
Editor's Note: This story by Evalina
Webster of Blyth, formerly of Seaforth, has
won the Christmas memories essay contest
for seniors, sponsored by local merchants.
She'll receive two history books.
Also on the page are two other fine
entries. For special Christmases to
remember, read on
A Christmas
to remember
Welcome to the Expositor's Christmas
issue! Thanks to , contributions from
readers, and school children it's a special
holiday issue for you-and your family.
:Otif eciVAage of Christmas in Seaforth
uses stories, poems, art work, and
Christmas photos from all over the area.
As you read, and remember with us, we
hope you'll agree ....Christmas 1981 is a
Christmas-to remember.
THE, HURON EXPOSITOR, MONISM
When a, Santa wore a coonskin -coat
BY BYALINA WEBSTER
My most memorable
Christmas was in 1942. It was
wartime and many young
men from Great Britain were
training at the Port Albert Air
Base. We frequently en-
tertained some of the boys on
our farm at Seaforth.
Jock Kennedy from
Glasgow and. Alan ShnPson
of Manchester were invited to
spend their Christmas leave
BY CLARA RINN
It was the year of 1955 and
it was a most beautiful, spiny
day.
We were farmers and
always so busy my husband's
brother made his home with
us; he worked in the
Wingham foundry.
Since he was home this day
the men said "how be we
burn out the chimney while
we are eating breakfast as it
sure needs it?-" So this they
did. Oh how the flames
roared up pat chimney. For
awhile they thought it was
going to get out of control.
Sparks were falling on the
roof.
with us.
They arrived thglday before
Christmas to add to the
excitement of our three boys
aged 7, 5 and 2 yrs.
At supper time. Tom, the
eldest, who attended Public
School, / very knowingly
announced There is no Santa
Claus" our Scaltsman -
said "will have to do
something about that. "
Christmas Eve the children
And while the men were
keeping watch I was getting
breakfast ready and I heard
this roaring noise and here it
the stove pipes weren't on
fire! Oh such excitement.
I called to the men "Come
quick" and I couldn't find a
pail for water if we needed it.
I hurried and filled the dish
pan with water and set it on a
chair then I forget where I put
it as it got djpbrf imfrt yjr
it as it got shoved under the
table. Then I grabbed the salt
bag and flung some in the
stove. That dampened it
down some.
PIPES COOLED
Well, when the pipes
hung their stockings on the
mantle, left a treat for :Santa.
were tucked into bed and
soon fast sleep.
We hunted up" an old
coonskin coat and hat filled a
bag with hay and Jock
paraded in front of the house
shooting Ho Ho!
The boys were dragged out
of bed and to the cottage
window to see Santa and then
back to bed Where they were
soon asleep again. They said
nothing.
day
fell
cooled off, the men said they
had better clean them out
before starting the fire again.
The pipes mere strung across
the kitchen and the men were
up on chairs trying to get
them down when down they
came on the floor with a
bounce. Most of the sections
came apart and oh what a
mess they did make.
Well I got it swept up and
then had to wash up the floor.
Our neighbor from across
the road came to visit for the
day and he said he would
never forget this Christmas
Day, ancti never have either.
I laugh about it now when, I
think of it.
ancient old fireplace and
listened to readings from
Bobbie Burns as only a true
Scotsman can render them.
Our English lad. not to be
outdone. read from Tennyson
All books etc. had to be
burned, everything scrubbed
or fumigated.
Ten months later. I wearily
rejoined my sisters and
friends at school, where Mrs.
Bill Church cheerfully found
time to upgrade the schooling
we had missed and later
taught Gr. 9 to me, as I had:a
hearing problem.
tfiat was a 'blessed
Christmas. one of sharing,
and also of being given the
chance to survive and to
remember.
-+
a
a
a
a
Christmas morning the
children were up at daybreak
to-see what Santa had bought
(gifts were never very large
then) and to see if he bad
eaten the cookies;
At breakfast Tom said very
seriously "I always thought
Santa was short and fat".
Now I know he's tall and
thin". Jock had his reward.
We listened to our young
Queen's Christmas message
then all piled into the sleigh
(there were too many of us for
the cutter) and drove through
the frosty air to my brother's
farm. There we were greeted
by two equally excited little
girls. Nancy and Sally and the
children's grandparents.
We all enjoyed a wonderful
Christmas dinner. The
ciiildren could hardly wait for
the gifts under the tree to be
distributed.
No one seemed to notice
that Jock had left the house.
Soon there was the jingling of
bells and a load knocking at
the door. Our coonskin dad
was back.
Pandemonium reigned! It
didn't matter that Santahad a.
very Scottish .accent. The
room was filled with shouts of
glee as each received their
gifts.
Rome again through the
snow. barn chores finished.
little boys off to bed we
listened on short wave radio
to Big Ben and the latest
12).B.0 news.
Our Air force boys were
writing letters home, no
doubrtellingthem Omit their
first and last Christmas in
Canada.. We had planned to
give something to others that
Christmas but instead
received much ourselves. In
my memory it was our best
Christmas.
The remainder of the
,evening we sat before the
cherry wood - fire in our
I remember being grateful
I escaped the annual
performance at the school
and church Christmas
Concerts, though I missed the
frizzed up hair from those
curling tongs, (or did l?)
Somehow, all the barn
chores as well as the house
chores, were' done, the
necessary nursing -was cared
for, and later, Mother had
*KRA:energy to read to us
by, lamplight, (coal oil) of
course. We (I) used to sneak
out of bed, and read with one
Christmas
the pipes.
eye covered, while the cows
were being milked. Stupid.
I'm sure we must have had
our usual, tree, gifts. and
Christmas dinner, all "home
for Christmas". in various
stages of the diseases, up and
cranky, or in bed and even
more cranky. The highlight of
my gifts was a bright red toy
snow shovel, hidden in the
chop -box by my' optimistic
• Uncle John. who knew I
would use it that winter or
the next.
Quarantined for Christmas