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How We Spent Christmas in 1918

    We had a severe snow storm the day of Christmas Eve so there was no church on Christmas Eve since nobody could get there because of some blocked roads.

     On Christmas day after the chores were done my brother, Carl and sister Milda and myself decided to walk to church that morning. My dad hitched up the horses to a bobsled and took us across the field to the railroad tracks where we planned to walk down the tracks. How we got across the fence I don't remember but we must have made it and we also got through the deep snow in the ditches.

     We had just started walking down the railroad tracks for a short distance when a lone engine came behind us and we kidded each other and wondered if he would take us along. Sure enough he passed us and stopped to see if we wanted a ride. We were so surprised and excited and all of us said, “yes, we would like the ride since we had about five more miles to walk.”

     So off for our journey. There were three men in the cab, the one almost continuously shoveling coal, since it took so much to run the engine. We did so much laughing since this was a new experience, a ride in the engine. It wasn't long and we were in Lowden. Since it was too early to go to church we walked down to our Aunt Dretta's. We were there for an hour and we sure surprised them getting there so early on Christmas morning after a snow storm. We went to church and really surprised a lot of people when we told them about our ride.

     On the way home which would be close to six miles, we did get a ride on the bobsled part of the way, with some of the members that had attended church also.

     We got home after walking part of the way and our folks were happy to hear of the new experiences. They were especially glad that we didn't have to walk all the way, back and forth.

              Mrs Gerhard (Marie Kruckenberg) Licht

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I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER

. . . . .Christmas Eve programs in our church, Zion United Church of Christ. One year that stands out in my memory is the first year of the “human” Christmas tree, in the early 1950's. Our children, Karen and David were thrilled to be a part of it. Each child on the tree held a tiny candle-light as they sang. I hope the old custom of “Christmas Eve programs” never ends in Lowden.

              Mrs Dick (Dorothy) Sennett