HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-12-23, Page 8P e -.GO Ica &GNALSTAR, MONDAY, 'DECEMBER 23, 1985
53 South St.
GODERICH, Ontario
524-4279
OY TO BLli
It's been our pleasure
to know you and serve you.
Merry Christrrlas and a
prosperous New Year
to all, and a special thanks
for making our
third year in business
an enjoyable one.
MERRY C;:n:sTMAS! FROM ALL OF US AT DURST FARM CENTRE
LEFT TO RIGHT: Tony, Mary Grace, Bryan, Len
PURINA
CHOWS
DURST FARM CENTRE
Highway No. 8 West, Clinton 482-7706
HOURS: OPEN DEC. 24, 8. 5 pm; CLOSED DEC. 25 & 26; FRI., 8. 5 pm;
SAT., 8. 12 noon; DEC. 31, 8 •5 pm; JAN. 1 - CLOSED; JAN. 2, OPEN FOR REG. HOURS
U Christmas Tree was performed on the ukulele by Teresa Grif-
fiths, Cindy Culbert, Dorie Anne MacLennan, Elizabeth Ball and
Jackie Rau while the Kindergarten class of Robertson Memorial
Public School sang at their Christmas concert. (photo by Susan
Hundertmark
Fondest memories of Christmas
are when the children were home
BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK
For Theresa Redmond, of Goderich,
Christmas has always been better by the
dozen. Her fondest memories of the
Christmas season are of the times when her
12 children were all at home.
"Christmas got more interesting every
year with more kids. There is nothing that
would bring me so much satisfaction as the
time my 12 kids were all together," she
says.
Christmases in the Redmond household
were always full of tradition, starting during
the first Christmas Theresa and her
husband Jack were married.
In 1944, they and their one -month-old
daughter Diane, spent Christmas with
Jack's uncle and aunt in their 80 -year-old
.house. Because the two rooms they lived in
at the back of the house during the winter
were heated by a wood stove, they had never
put up a Christmas tree for fear of fire. But,
Theresa managed to persuade Jack's uncle
to put up a tree if only for 24 hours.
"I'd always had a Christmas tree and
lights and I found it very, very sad to spend
Christmas without one. And, I wanted my
little daughter to have a tree," she says.
The traditions, coming mostly from
Theresa's childhood, grew stronger as the
Redmond family grew. By the time the
family included three children, they stayed
home instead of visiting with relatives.
Christmas Eve was spent wrapping gifts,
trimming the tree, setting up the Nativity
Scene, saying a family prayer and singing
along wren t,hristruas u,uale.
"Christmas Eve was really something.
The children couldn't wait to get into their
baths and then their nightwear," says
Theresa.
Fourteen stockings would b€ hung on
chairs and chesterfields in the livingroom
with the children bidding over who wocild
get their stockings closest to the tree.
As the children got older, some of there
would go to Midnight Mass to sing in the
choir.
"The children loved to sing. All December
we had music in the house. We were glad to
shelve the Christmas music by the end of the
season because we'd lived it to its fullest."
she says.
One Christmas Eve, the of Theresa's
daughters was sure she'd heard Santa since
she kept hearing bells ringing. She was
disappointed to learn, once she'd grown up,
that the bells were the ones attached to the
side door. They rang as Theresa went m and
out of the house playing Santa.
Another Christmas Eve, another rlatighter
was convinced by her siblings to run
downstairs and shake the presents to get an
idea of what they could expert once morning
carne.
She didn't expect that one box v ould
contain a toy puppy which proceeded to hark
and wouldn't stop.
With 12 children, tradition served to keep
Christmas Day orderly. Theretia ��uuld
come downstairs around 6 a.m. to put the
music on and signal the children to Curia'
downstairs for their stockings.
OUR ANNUAL
STOCK REDUCTION
do/
STARTS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27
at9AM
Sen , ; tii,tnal markdowns on fine furniture
for nvory room in your house Shop early'
This is an outstanding Annual Furniture Sale Event,
BALL & MUTCH
FINE FURNITURE
FINE FURNITURE AND DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES • ALBERT STREET • CLINTON • 482-9505
"'This was the most exciting time with
everybody showing their gifts to Jack and I.
My eyes used to fill up with tears to see them
so happy," she says.
'l'he children would play with their
presents from Santa while Jack did chores
in the barn. After breakfast and church, the
family would open the gifts from each other.
()nce the children got older, champagne and
coffee cake would accompany this tradition.
Christmas dinner was a formal affair with
all the family dressed up and the girls all in
long skirts and dresses. Theresa would cook
a goose, a duck or a turkey with chestnut or
sage dressing. Preparations had already
included the baking of plum pudding, fruit
cake and cookies.
"The gifts might have been lean some
Christmases but the food never was. I love
cooking; it's rewarding forme," she says.
As the older children grew up and began
,;unifies of their own, the Redmond house
as jammed full of people. Christmas
ctalned its magic since children (now
grandchildren ) were always in the house.
:\s Theresa's youngest children grew up
,Ind the family moved farther apart, new
traditions were formed. This year, Theresa
and Jack will be spending Christmas Day
alone with an open house on Boxing Day.
•I'nr looking forward to Christmas Day
just with Jack to see what it's like," she
says.
And, she smiles as she remembers the old
traditions that she's noticed some of her
children have passed on to their own
families.
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Wishing One and All a
01/V
Just a Reminder
Our building has been sold, but we will be carrying
on business as usual from our new location
40 Victoria St., N. after Jan. 3, 1986
WORSELL BROS.
PLUMBING AND HEATING LTD.
Phone S24-7952
1