Show gyff 9 A6 HfHTT'l nrl Vl11"'! 1‘t Wednesday December 15 2004 Sanpete MessengerGunnison Valley Edition Dolls irnagiriation created Christmas magic Favorite toys taken to -- s’ I Pi (b c church by children By Korn Buchanan Staff writer MAN1 — Christmas was magic lor Marilyn Miller as she grew up in Munti “It was a gentler tune” she said as she compared her childhood with that ol the thildien she teaches at Manti Mementiry "We didn’t have television in the late 1940s and so more things were lelt to the imagination then was bigger than life" During die Christmas season Miller was always late getting home Iron) school because she had to stop at the Rite Way store or the “Red and White” located where the Sanpete School District building now stands She never lelt the store until she visited with every doll “I loved dolls when was little and still do" she said referring to her large collection of china and Raggedy Ann dolls Alter she lelt the Red and While she had one more stop to make before going home The toy land in Price’s Muket on Second South was wailing lot her to explore To a little girl with stars in her eyes the whole town of Manti seemed to be decoiated with magic Colored lights were strung from pole to pole along Main Street and pine trees were wired to each pole There were also huge decorated pine trees at both ends of town The city owned the lot whine Lloyd Smith's house is now and they would Hood it every wmlei to create a skating link There was sledding on Duncan Hill and Red Point and in those days the clnldien would even slide and play in the snow on the hill at the temple giounds The creek was open all the way through town and when it was frozen in the winter the children would often run or skate on it from one end of town to the other The community Chustnias celebration began the Saturday before as a diawing was held with prize tickets Irom local merchants Santa urnved in town riding on the city lire truck lie gave sacks of candy and nuts to all the children Then they tended a free movie at the old theater which was torn down a few years ago to make way for the City Complex building A church service was held in the old Center Waid on Christmas Day no nutter what day ol the week The clnldien would take their favorite toy Irom Santa Claus with them to the service Of course Miller’s was always a doll The nativity was dramatized and the service included a program with talks and music 1 hen Santa himself would come up the Mon: 7 pm ML Pleasant MATR Treatment Center 265 N State Toes: 7 pm Snow College Greenwood Student Center upstairs Frl: 7 pm Manti 450 S 600 W meetings are open to one who wishes to attend For more information on or aw CKXDrtC'A (ABOVE) (Left) Marilyn Hannah (LEFT) aisle with goodies for all the Miller’s grandfather L R Miller came to Manti from Denmark about X9 and he married Mu le Anderson a local Mormon girl whose family had also emigiated from Denmark lie was a builder and any- N A VERN mond buried in it was guaranteed a prosperous new year Good Danish cooks are famous for their pastries and butter cookies Hbelskivers (a kind of popover) for breakfast and meatballs and turkey for dinner are traditional architect and designed and built BUCHANANMESSENGER PHOTO foods at Christmas Miller remembers that their Christmas tree was decorated with ornaments and small baskets woven from red and while paper with treats inside Later came the Miller PHOTO COURTESY MARILYN MILLEfe at home with her dolls and her dog j (Above) Marilyn Miller with her family In 1948 Front: her mother Martha Marilyn age 6 her father Clement Back her brothers Rodney 17 Paul 13 and Morgan 15 friends most evenings throughouf the season Christmas was a magical time in Marilyn Miller’s childhood and from the appearaned “Noma" bubble lights and silver on the icicles placed branches Music played an important part in the Miller family and Christmas songs were sung around the piano by family and of her beautifully decorated ° home it still is MOV 26 - DEC 25th tt Your Holiday Music Station most of the beautiful Victorian homes in Manti He built the old school in Fairview still standing ww that now houses the Fairview Museum lis son Clement Marilyn’s father worked with his father and continued to build homes in Manti He also built the steeple and did the interior woodwork on the Manti Tabernacle “I can walk down almost every street in town and see their houses still standing" she said and added that they look especially beautiful at Christmas time She lives in the ami y home on Main Street that her lather built in 1910 In the Danish tradition the Miller lamily opened their gifts on Chnstmas Fve but Santa Claus left piesents lor them to open in the morning Chnstmas is a special time lor traditional Danish foods Miller’s mother UoMul HRe Ku&O' ‘ Martha Mickelson Miller was a wonderful cook Rice pudding and sweet soup weie favorite Christmas desserts he person who got the rice pudding with a whole Hours T4 Monday - Friday inside of Gunnison Thriftway 520 South Main g&grlSp Gunnison W SMBmuim turn bum Featuring Utah’s Largest Christmas Music Library playing 24 hours day! it Narcotics Anonymous Meetings in Sanpete AS LU UT 11 :00 AM 11 :00 AM -- 6:00 PM Saturday -- Member Ut 2:00 PM NCUA be e' j'fc'e for membershp 'fen call J POOR C |