The Historical Society publishes a monthly column, Tales of our Town, in the local newspaper, The Strathroy Age Dispatch.
Local writers are invited to submit stories and ideas for future columns. Any story with local interest will be considered. All you need to provide is the five "W’s" and how—who is it about?, what happened? where, when, why and how did it take place? Contact email [email protected] with subject line Tales of Our Town idea.
Local writers are invited to submit stories and ideas for future columns. Any story with local interest will be considered. All you need to provide is the five "W’s" and how—who is it about?, what happened? where, when, why and how did it take place? Contact email [email protected] with subject line Tales of Our Town idea.
Newest Tales of Our Town Article
Christmas memories by Janet Cummer
Do I remember Christmas as it really was? I am now 80 and it seems so long ago. In the 1950s, with the War over there was more money to spend. And as children, we knew it was the best time of the year.
At our house, the magic started with the arrival of the Eaton’s and Simpson’s Christmas catalogues. Boy, did we pore over those books, picking out what we wanted - toboggans, skates, dolls and games. And I wonder how many mothers got “Evening in Paris” from Eaton’s? We shopped in the stores too, but to have a copy of the catalogue to look at in your home was the best. Maybe shopping online is the closest thing today.
No matter where we went we were inundated with music - on the radio, in stores, at concerts, on the street. Who can forget “Silver Bells”, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” with Gene Autry, and “Santa Claus is coming to Town”? Movies like “White Christmas” from 1954 still air on television.
The excitement of receiving Christmas cards in the mail was another treat of the season. Cards were taped to doorways or placed on the mantel. They kept us in touch with friends and relatives, since telephone calls were expensive. At the Post Office, there were bins for our letters to Santa. Somehow, mine routinely returned to my parents!
The religious aspect of Christmas was not forgotten. But Santa Claus dominated our thoughts. A visit from Santa was the finale of any concert or social event. Not that it was mentioned in the Age beforehand, but it was generally understood that the old fellow would appear. He even showed up at the December meeting of the Catholic Women’s League at All Saints Church. According to the Age (Dec. 24, 1958), the meeting, with 70 members attending, was presided over by Mrs. V. Grogan. Along with euchre, final plans were made for the turkey basket draw with all the fixings for a meal on Christmas Day. “Santa’s visit was one of the highlights of the evening, with gifts for all.”
There were Christmas concerts at both school and church. In 1950, I was part of the entertainment. Jean Kersey and I got on stage at Colborne School and sang “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”. Our front teeth were missing and at the age of six we had no case of nerves.
Even movies at the King Theatre became part of Christmas shopping. “Butler’s welcomes you ‘Not as a Stranger’ but as a friend to make our store your Christmas Shopping Headquarters”. Butler’s Department Store was across from the King Theatre on the northeast corner of Front and Thomas Streets, where that movie was showing.
Susan Cunningham Parisi remembers the Annual Lions Club Family Christmas held at the IOOF Hall on Front Street E. A plaque on the second storey with the IOOF insignia still marks the Hall’s old location. Aileen Cnockaert recalls getting candy at Pincombe’s store after the parade. When Santa called out to her Dad, Ken Campbell, from the parade, Aileen’s sister Susan was amazed that Santa knew him.
I remember sitting at supper on a quiet Christmas Eve. Suddenly there was a commotion on the front porch. There was no knock on the door, just the stomping of feet and the sound of bells. It was ‘Santa’ Earl Gibson coming to check up on our brother Dan. Earl lived a few doors from us on Front Street. Dan was brought to the front door to meet Santa, who asked all the usual questions. Had he been a good boy? This memory is one of my favourites. I’m sure Dan remembers it too.
Others reminisced about large family gatherings. Sharon Statham recalls, “It was always fun in the 1970s to decorate our 1926 Model T Ford with garlands and bows. On Christmas Day we would load up our two girls, Susan and Janice, Grandma Elsie Statham, and a pile of gifts and head out to the Zavitz family farm on the 10th concession of Lobo for Christmas festivities with Grandma Hazel, Poppa Ray, sisters Bonnie and Jo-Anne and Aunt Laura and Aunt Beryle. We also visited with the families of Al and Helen Denning and Bill and Marj Matthews. The Christmas Eve excursions in the Model T to the Larry and Mary MacDonald home included exciting visits from Santa, a.k.a. Strathroy Fire Chief Bill Gibson.”
Christmas kept coming, in good times and bad. In 1981, Mom didn’t set the table for dinner. Nothing was said, but there were too many people missing that year. We ate off TV tables in front of the television. Happier Christmases followed. Those are the ones we all remember for a lifetime.
Many thanks to those who shared their Strathroy memories of this special time of year. Merry Christmas!
Do I remember Christmas as it really was? I am now 80 and it seems so long ago. In the 1950s, with the War over there was more money to spend. And as children, we knew it was the best time of the year.
At our house, the magic started with the arrival of the Eaton’s and Simpson’s Christmas catalogues. Boy, did we pore over those books, picking out what we wanted - toboggans, skates, dolls and games. And I wonder how many mothers got “Evening in Paris” from Eaton’s? We shopped in the stores too, but to have a copy of the catalogue to look at in your home was the best. Maybe shopping online is the closest thing today.
No matter where we went we were inundated with music - on the radio, in stores, at concerts, on the street. Who can forget “Silver Bells”, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” with Gene Autry, and “Santa Claus is coming to Town”? Movies like “White Christmas” from 1954 still air on television.
The excitement of receiving Christmas cards in the mail was another treat of the season. Cards were taped to doorways or placed on the mantel. They kept us in touch with friends and relatives, since telephone calls were expensive. At the Post Office, there were bins for our letters to Santa. Somehow, mine routinely returned to my parents!
The religious aspect of Christmas was not forgotten. But Santa Claus dominated our thoughts. A visit from Santa was the finale of any concert or social event. Not that it was mentioned in the Age beforehand, but it was generally understood that the old fellow would appear. He even showed up at the December meeting of the Catholic Women’s League at All Saints Church. According to the Age (Dec. 24, 1958), the meeting, with 70 members attending, was presided over by Mrs. V. Grogan. Along with euchre, final plans were made for the turkey basket draw with all the fixings for a meal on Christmas Day. “Santa’s visit was one of the highlights of the evening, with gifts for all.”
There were Christmas concerts at both school and church. In 1950, I was part of the entertainment. Jean Kersey and I got on stage at Colborne School and sang “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”. Our front teeth were missing and at the age of six we had no case of nerves.
Even movies at the King Theatre became part of Christmas shopping. “Butler’s welcomes you ‘Not as a Stranger’ but as a friend to make our store your Christmas Shopping Headquarters”. Butler’s Department Store was across from the King Theatre on the northeast corner of Front and Thomas Streets, where that movie was showing.
Susan Cunningham Parisi remembers the Annual Lions Club Family Christmas held at the IOOF Hall on Front Street E. A plaque on the second storey with the IOOF insignia still marks the Hall’s old location. Aileen Cnockaert recalls getting candy at Pincombe’s store after the parade. When Santa called out to her Dad, Ken Campbell, from the parade, Aileen’s sister Susan was amazed that Santa knew him.
I remember sitting at supper on a quiet Christmas Eve. Suddenly there was a commotion on the front porch. There was no knock on the door, just the stomping of feet and the sound of bells. It was ‘Santa’ Earl Gibson coming to check up on our brother Dan. Earl lived a few doors from us on Front Street. Dan was brought to the front door to meet Santa, who asked all the usual questions. Had he been a good boy? This memory is one of my favourites. I’m sure Dan remembers it too.
Others reminisced about large family gatherings. Sharon Statham recalls, “It was always fun in the 1970s to decorate our 1926 Model T Ford with garlands and bows. On Christmas Day we would load up our two girls, Susan and Janice, Grandma Elsie Statham, and a pile of gifts and head out to the Zavitz family farm on the 10th concession of Lobo for Christmas festivities with Grandma Hazel, Poppa Ray, sisters Bonnie and Jo-Anne and Aunt Laura and Aunt Beryle. We also visited with the families of Al and Helen Denning and Bill and Marj Matthews. The Christmas Eve excursions in the Model T to the Larry and Mary MacDonald home included exciting visits from Santa, a.k.a. Strathroy Fire Chief Bill Gibson.”
Christmas kept coming, in good times and bad. In 1981, Mom didn’t set the table for dinner. Nothing was said, but there were too many people missing that year. We ate off TV tables in front of the television. Happier Christmases followed. Those are the ones we all remember for a lifetime.
Many thanks to those who shared their Strathroy memories of this special time of year. Merry Christmas!
After fifteen years of writing stories, the Tales committee has decided to take a break to put together the next book of stories, to go on sale for Christmas 2024. No stories are planned for the coming year. We have enjoyed learning about our community and are proud to leave behind a wonderful record of local history.