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Show Muensbon try VAl BAGUV asked readers a few weeks ago to Being acknowledged as one of the small send us their stones on memorable I hanks -- children in the home, although I was Wrings. Here are some of those responses. almost 12 yean of age. I would have to sit at the childrens table. Even though it was hanksgiving around our home has a blow to my grown-u- p character, I felt always been a special lime. Waking there were advantages in sitting at the up lo ihc smell of something not small table. Advantages like not getting in quite familiar yet knowing it was the middle seat at the big rectangular table. the turkey that had been crowding our That was the Hot Scat." small refrigerator for the past few days, ' Through the meal you would end up helped me really love that time of year. passing something to someone, never Coming from a family of 10 made lots of work to be done for this special day. getting the chance to help yourself. By the Dad and the three boys would start their time you did get some of that mouth-wateriwork early. They would get up at the crack delight, it would be and cold of dawn and go check out the ducks at everyone else would be starting on seconds, all except Dad, and he Ogden Bay. I could never figure out why they would do this every year until I was a would be about the same as the lucky Iittkc older. I found out it was Dad's way person in the Hot Scat" because his of getting out from under Moms feet. prcassigned scat was always in the middle Meanwhile Mom would start to organize on the other side of the tabic. the day. giving each of us a specific job to After the meal was over, all of us girls carry out. (there were six of us including Mom) One of my favorite jobs was to get in would end up in the kitchen while the guys the cedar chest and pull out the big turkey (you guessed it) would watch the holiday platter that belonged to Nana, my mothers specials or football. grandmother. The holiday was really To get the Christmas spirit olT to a great starting. start, (the Christmas parade was always the ' When the boys returned home from day after Thanksgiving in those days), all hunting, with a catch almost always, of us kids would draw names for dinner would be ready to serve in no time Christmas from Dads duck hunting hat. at all. We would all sit down to the My older sister would get out the beautiful Thanksgiving feast and Dad Christmas music afterward and wc all would ofTcr a special prayer of would practice singing around the piano, Thanksgiving. almost everyone except Dad (he cant carry I oncc-in-a-yc- ar ng a tunc in a bucket). Those truly arc memorable days. Peggy Sdvcnvood Wat Point children during the early 1930s, lived on a farm in Syracuse. Day always meant a special dinner. Our father killed a live turkey and wc had to pick olT the feathers. Wc grew all the vegetables and other things wc ate. Wc went to the store for very few things other than sugar and paper products. Wc were very grateful for the resourcefulness of our parents and their ability to make things special with very little money. Lola Chapman Syracuse in Arkansas a teenager during the Thanksgiving Day was like any other day. There was no money for a special dinner, Wc ate the same thing wc ate every day v dried pork, potatoes and fruit we grew ourselves. It was not a holiday and we all went out to work in the fields. We pvc thanks for a , roof over our heads and wc were thankful , we werent starving. ' Milltc Garrison Clearfield As As In 1937 near the end of the our family, minus my was living in Cincinnati, Ohio. My little mother was caring for family by working as a domestic. our Her meager earnings barely afforded the necessities of life and there was nothing left over, especially funds for a Thanksgiving dinner. When wc were felling very blue, wc had our first miracle. Wc received an invitation from the Salvation Army to come to dinner. Our dilemma increased because wc had no means of transportation lo reach the designated destination. Then we had our second miracle. The Salvation Army called and offered to send a bus to transport us to the dinner. It was a very pleasant day and everyone was so kind to us and all the other needy people that had been invited. Without the generosity that was extended to us. it could have been a very different kind of day. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Salvation Army. Eunice Mann Layton n the early 1950s when our two boys were young, we always went to Grandma Perrins house in Eden for Thanksgiving dinner. As wc drove from Sunset up Ogden Canyon, our boys always sang. Over the over and through the snow to Grandmothers house wc go." And there was snow. One year it snowed every day the week before 1 hanksgivmg. Driving out of our driveway, we had about 2'h del of snow on both sides of the car. The further up the canyon wc went the deeper the snow. W hen wc reached Eden the snow was more than 4 feet deep. Wc had our turkey and trimmings for dinner and then Grandma l errins special squash pic. The boys were anxious to go outside to play in the snow. All we could see were the tops of their caps as they tunneled through the deep snow. W'hcn wc finally convinced the boys to go home, it was after dark. This is the Thanksgiving the family still talks about. lone Eerrin Sunset 1 was a wc young girl, everything wc ate for dinner from scratch. Wc raised the pumpkins and cooked them to make our pics. Wc started peeling the potatoes, carrots and other vegetables on Tuesday before Thanksgiving and stored them in the icc box to be cooked Thanksgiving morning. Wc made all our casseroles on Wednesday to be ready to be put in the oven early See STORIES on page 10 When VOLUNTEER CONNECTION Going Dutch This is 295-667- 295-660- 451-335- 9. . By LORETTA PARK Correspondent The Davis County Attorneys Office in Farmington seeks teams of two volunteers each to work with victims of domestic violence. The teams will be on call for one week at a time and receive calls from a police dispatcher to meet the victim at the residence if the perpetrator is in custody, or at the police department. The volunteers will determine needs of the victim such as shelter and medical care, and refer the victim to the proper resource, explain protective orders and the court system. They may go to court with the victim if needed and provide ongoing support. If interested, 0 extencall or sion 4300 in Ogden, for an appointment. Women at least age 21, who drive, have no criminal record and can keep confidentiality, are preferred. WEST , 7 General opportunities: right in with family celebration i " Office helpers at the United Way in Bountiful can work anytime Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. Call Terri or Jean 0. at Volunteers are needed for yard work for senior citizens. Call Joyce Frazier, Council on Aging, at fit POINT Dont the Van Komen St. Nicholas doesnt exist. Theyve , been trying to catch the Dutch version of Santa Claus for years. In the Netherlands, St. Nicholas Day is Dec. 5. It was named after St. Nicholas Bishop of Myra who lived about 200 A.D., said Janie ' Van Komen. According to legend, St. Nicholas arrives at the homes of children on his white horse and fills up a gunny sack with gifts that is left on the front porch. Then sometime during the night he returns and fills the childrens shoes with candy and a gift. For the Van Komen family, preparations for the holiday begin the day after Thanksgiving, said Janie. and The everyday knick-knacwall hangings are replaced with Dutch and Christmas decorations. Dolls representing most of the Netherlands provinces are displayed in the West Point home. Meanwhile, the Van Komen children dream of chocolate cookies made into their initials, while their father, Robert H.A. Van Komen, stirs pea soup and rolls out Bottcr Letter, a Dutch ' pastry. Janie sends out invitations to friends and relatives and shops for inexpensive, useful gifts. Janie married Robert more than 20 years ago and was introduced to the Dutch tradition of Saint Nicholas Day. As newlyweds, they traveled to Roberts relatives home to celebrate the day. It never entered Janie's mind to include the tradition in their home until her three older children were toddlers and she wanted to give them a Christmas coloring book. I didn't want to just hand them posi- 8:50 a.m. to 5 p.m. Traditions from Netherlands a listing of volunteer tions available throughout Davis County. For more information, call the Davis County United Wav information 6 Referral Service at Monday through Friday. 776-316- 451-430- ROBERT REGANStaff photographer Looking at a book about Holland, Nicholas Van Komen is surrounded by wooden shoes bought at a shoe store in the holiday with other Dutch families, , Its a great celebration to have right before Janie Christmas. Van Komen the book. So I said, Let's celebrate St. Nicholas Day, she said. I was excited that she wanted it in our family," Robert said. I served an LDS mission in Holland and found that you can have a lot of festivity without a lot of big presents." Robert came with his parents from the Netherlands to Utah in 949 when he was only 2'h years old. The Van Komen family in Salt Lake Citycclcbrated the 1 he said. When Janie decided to add the tradition to their family, they found they had only three pairs of wooden shoes and there were five members in their family. Everyone used just one shoe, instead of a pair, said Janie. I thought it was the best excuse to give the coloring books, but I also learned that my children appreciate their Dutch heritage." As her children grew and more came into the family, they began to ask questions and the Van Komens incorporated more of the traditions in their home. Janie and Robert traveled to the Netherlands soon after their fourth child was bom. I bought enough shoes for everyone, as well as two extra pairs," she said. The couple slso brought back r Netherlands. He is the Komen of West Point. Dutch story books, coloring books, wrapping paper and other St. Nicholas mementos. But they found they still didn't have enough shoes so when their two oldest sons traveled to their fathers homeland, they bought more pairs. Then a few years later the two oldest daughters traveled with their father and more pairs of wooden shoes were bought. Now on Dec. 5, not only do all of her 10 children and her one grandson wait for St. Nicholas to fill the gunny sack on their porch with presents, but Roberts parents, sisters, brothers, and friends sing the Dutch songs and cat the Dutch food made for the occasion. The Dutch like chocolate and wc have a lot of it here then, she said. The gifts found in the gunny sack arc usually wrapped in the v son of Robert and Janie Van 3, Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center needs volunteers to work with disabled adults to gain work skills and living skills, one-on-o- ne St. Nicholas wrapping paper Janie bought in the Netherlands so many years ago. Wc just recycle it as much as wc can, she said. There is always one gift for everyone in the sack with a rhyming note on it. Everyone reads their note out loud before opening their gift They have to guess whats inside the present before they can open it, too, said Janie. And its usually practical, like a pair of gloves or socks, she said. Then Oma" and Opa", Dutch words for grandma and grandpa, throw out the Dutch candy. Inside the Dutch candy is a paper nott. Its a little round hard gingerbread cookie and cither you really like it or you really hale it, but everyone likes it here." Janie said. See FAMILY on pege 10 such as laundry, shopping, etc. Call Shelley, Community Nursing Service and Hospice is looking for people to give their time and talents for the benefit of the homebound, elderly 5. and terminally ill. Call Kitchen assistants arc needed at the Heritage Senior Center in Clearfield, three hours one day per week. No cooking involved, minor cleanup. Call Florence, Family Friends Volunteers for Easter Seal Society are needed to help provide four hours respite care to the parcnlsguardians of chronically ill or disabled children. Volunteers will visit, befriend and play games with children. Training is provided. Call Meals on Wheels runners and drivers arc needed at the Heritage Center and Autumn Glow Center. No special driver license is required. Kitchen help is also needed. 5 Call Pat at Heritage. or Sm VOLU&EER on pag 10 774-747- 8. 776-444- 773-706- 5. 531-052- 2. 773-706- t |