SEGMENT: HOLIDAYS & RECOLLECTIONS
Jessie Ruth Saiter>UIS Collection S>UIS Collection S, Segment 1
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- HOLIDAYS
- Discussion of Christmas holiday & getting real tree. Mentions mother saved paper & string from stores & make chains for decorations. Popcorn strung, & gingerbread cookies hung on trees. Received an orange in their stocking, but rarely received gifts. "We were not like the children today." "We were so happy with what we had."
- RECOLLECTIONS
- Mrs. Saiter gives her attitude towards women's liberation 'Women with time can think about other issues.' Both mother & father were always busy. "Each month brought its own work." Only had Christmas day off from school. Mother made big fruitcake soaked in rum or whiskey. Father occasionally went to Marshall & he would return with candy for children who would run to meet wagon. "A sack of candy was really something to us." Mentions family gatherings. Mentions making taffy with family. Story of boys feeding dog with no teeth some taffy. They were punished for torturing this dog. People today do not get-together as much because they have so many outside activities & pressures. "Its all we knew & we were happy." People came over for dinner after church. On Saturdays older children would make pies. "My mother could go out there & kill a chicken & have it dressed in no time." Never a shortage of food for company visiting. Children enjoyed these Sunday visits. Story about going to visit neighbors, "German people". German people were very strict. Mentions German prayer before dinner. Playing made time fly & had to go home at dark. Parents were upset because father did not hear her ask permission to visit neighbors. As a child Mrs. Saiter did not have dolls, but neighbor friend had many very nice dolls to play with. "The rest of the family was perfectly normal; it was just him [the German-speaking grandfather]."
