Locals reflect on Christmas, 100 years ago

When Galen Kees and his sister-in-law, Theone Kees, were children, Christmas wasn't quite the same as it is today.
Galen was born June 11, 1914, and celebrated his 100th birthday this summer. Theone, who lived just over the hill from Galen and his brothers, was born July 27, 1913. She would eventually grow up and marry one of Galen's brothers, Bill. Both are 1931 Durand High School graduates.
"I got a doll every year for Christmas until I was 13," Theone said. "I can remember beautiful dolls lining the back wall at Ben Franklin."
Theone recalls playing house a lot, and having lots of dolls to do so with.
"We always had to go to bed early so Santa could come," Galen said. "Dad had a long fish pole that he had and rapped on the roof, and told us to get to bed because Santa was there, and had work to do."
Theone said she remembers having homemade stockings hung for Christmas, and having lutefisk and lefse for Christmas Eve dinner.
Galen said his mom was a real good cook, and every Christmas she made enough poppy seed rolls for the whole town from poppies she grew herself.
"If we had company coming over I'd have to go outside and get a chicken to be cooked," he said.
Galen also said he remembers his dad bringing home a box of Cracker Jacks from the store that the grocer threw in around Christmas time, and to keep his hands warm in the winter his mom knitted gloves—never bought them.
Theone said she doesn't remember getting gifts from Santa, but she would get gifts from her parents.
"We always got gifts because we weren't naughty," she said. "We never thought of doing anything our parents wouldn't approve of."
Theone said she doesn't recall getting gifts for her parents, as it wasn't customary. She said her family opened gifts on Christmas Eve.
Galen said he remembers getting gifts from his parents, grandparents, and Santa.
The trees in the houses were real and fresh cut just before Christmas.
"We went down in the bottoms to cut our tree," Theone said.
Galen said he remembers going to Dorwin's Mill, cutting a tree with a hatchet, and dragging it home on the way home from the feed mill.
"My mother had wax candles on the tree," Theone said. "One year it started on fire. You had to put the candles way out on the ends of the branches. Mom decorated it pretty with tinsel and things."
Theone said they never had a tree over five feet tall.
Galen said he remembers hanging candy canes on the tree.
"We always strung popcorn, too," he said. "Some years our tree was almost as high as the ceiling."
Galen recalls the tree being in the house until the needles were falling off, then it would get put outside. He said the tree was cut anywhere from a week to just a couple of days before Christmas, and they had a star for the top.Theone said they would set their tree in the snowbank for the birds after Christmas.
Galen said his family always went to a big family gathering at Brantners.
"Everyone brought something," he said.
Galen also said he remembers his dad helping his brothers and him make slingshots around Christmas time.
"Christmas was just another farm day for us," Theone said. "We didn't get to church because we were busy milking and working on the farm."
Theone said she remembers getting a new sled to play with the neighbor kids and sliding down the hill.
"I can remember getting in the horse-drawn buggy and dad putting a bear skin rug over mom and I to go to grandma's," she said. "I must have been about three or four."
Growing up, Galen joined the Navy and missed a few Christmases at home. Theone currently resides at home in Durand, and Galen has moved to The Seasons in Plum City.
Editor's note: Olive Ganoe is also a 1931 DHS graduate. Due to scheduling conflicts, I was unable to meet with her and hear her Christmas memories.