Show fyTjyywv(vyyryfvyf B2 Sanpete Messenger Sanpete Messenger-Gunniso- r?t y iyy Wednesday December 22 2004 Valley Edition Ephraim senior reminisces on Christmases in a simpler time Kids got just one gift and fruitcake was no joke By lamilies had their Cathi Call cows and chickens their own gardens Guesf writer LPHR AIM— Christmases were a lot different nearly a century ago in Sanpete County hdith Hansen Willardson of Ephraim should know she has seen 94 of them think “I cringe whenever about the trees we had then" she mused "You think ahout set ting real lighted candles on a pine tree We would "Christmas dinner was nice” she says “but not as big as we have now We would have a roast potatoes and gravy and vegetables that had been bottled in the fall Holiday treats were homemade like honey candy and taffy not like we buy in the stores today" 'One of my favorites back then was gingerbread but liked fruitcakes too” never consider anything like that today” Everything was simpler she commented She thinks today most people consider fruitcake a Christmas joke back then Trees were harvested on the mountains and decorated with paper chains popcorn and other handmade decorations From the beginning trees were part of Fphraim’s traditional Yule Candle program In 1943 Edith’s husband started teaching at Fphraim High School He and his Future Farmers of America began the annual candlelight program George Willardson and his FA boys would hike into the hills and cut trees for the program decorations When the Ephraim and Manti High George Schools were own pigs as well as combined Junior School High Ephraim now the Ephraim Middle School continued the tradition Food was different in those days too “We all lived on what we could produce on our own land” Fklith remembers Her ther owned a flour mill and most PHOTO but back then was long forgotten Schools emphasicd music too she reinembers At Fairview Elementary now part of the Fairview Museum students would line up outside to wait to go into the school house A ano was set up in the hallway and students would march to classes in time to the music Transportation was very different in the early 19(X)s She remembers riding in a carriage “And it really had a fringe on top” she chuckles Her brothers took her in it to Mt Pleasant to see some Hood damage in 1915 In 1916 the family got its first car a Buick For her sixth birthday they went for a ride in the car It was her job to pump up the air in the engine to make enough power to go up hills She recalls "I would sit in the middle of my parents and dad would say “Give it some air!" and I’d work the pump until we got to the top of the hill" Of course those simpler times included activities that are still important today like education and reading “You have to remember this was well before television” she says "Radios were a rarity and we did a lot of hours chopping fruit to make it the holiday delicacy In earlier times Christmas was viewed as family time but was not tied to presents or shopping "Kids would get one present from Santa and maybe one from a sibling but that was about it" she says "For example would get a doll one year and some clothes for the doll the next year” One thing that hasn’t changed is the love of music at Christmas time Wiliardson’s ther Hans P Hansen was the Fairview Ward choir leader for 50 years The family owned a ano that they all learned to play Church hymns as well as Christmas music were favorites One year the family bought a phonograph and one of the first records they got was Santa Lucia volumes” COURTESY Education has always been important to Willardson She tended LDS High School in Salt Lake City with now LDS Church president Gordon B Hinckley “I wonder if he remembers me?" she said Willardson is almost part of the brick and mortar of Ephraim After World War II there was a shortage of teachers and the school district begged her to teach Her “temporary" position lasted 30 years from 1943 to 1973 She has taught more than a thousand public school students After her husband’s death in 1981 she continued to teach at Snow College for another 15 George and Edith Willardson early In ups jQ: it regarded as a real treat It took a lot of of cracking nuts and Willardson learned to love classical music as well as local favorites one of which “I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles” is now EDITH WILLARDSON their marriage reading” Her family was lucky to have a real library "We had a set of historical books an encyclopedia set and a white set of literature books I can’t remember any of the titles now but I read all 24 Edith Willardson 94 relives memories through family photo album she has lived in Ephraim since the early 1940s Edith still lives in the home that she and her husband bought mote than 60 years ago She and George raised three childien and have a posterity that includes 12 grandchildien 34 and two grandchildren She has also seen much of the world traveling to Europe three times In 1989 she visited Denmark with her hi other They visited her giandlalher's home that has been lived in by Willardsons since the l4(X)s Edith has seen a lot of hie — ami death as well Six weeks altei her husband died during the winter of 1981 her only daughter Carol also died “It was a haul time lor us all" she reflected calmly “On Cluistmas day last year my oldest son Art also passed away That means Christmas will be tough lor us this year But that is A Fairview native the nature of life" she admits Her youngest son Chris lives with her now They take care of each other and together prepare for the Christmases of today MU RON KING ISON Main Ephraim Coupon expires 1?S3” - 12312004 f years DuDp tyioiu oars lyjocunr ajuiojtyjS W&m tos ft® QoQp We thank you for your patronage this past year and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a most Happy New Year! 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