Nona and Claire gave a British Highlight program of their tour to England, Wales and Scotland in May of this  year. It was most difficult for Claire to choose slides, as she is always thinking ahead and took over 240 slides.  Each, are very special to her.  Nona told of their Kemey Manor House dinner out of Cardiff Wales.  Both had something to offer to the group, and  strongly suggesting the British Heritage Tour, as you really learn about those three countries and of their Heritage.

While Nona is interested in family ties in Germany, Claire has ties to England, her father a 100% Englishman. She promised no genealogy research, but sometimes it came to her along the way.  The stop at Plymouth England, and seeing the steps used by those who left on the Mayflower were unbelievable., she having ancestors on the Mayflower, through an allied line.

CHRISTMAS IN DODGE CO

 SCRIBNER NEWS  27 Dec 1901 – CHRISTMAS was an unusually quiet day in Scribner.  The weather was in marked contrast with that of a week before.  Sleigh riding had already been spoiled several days by the warmth of the sun melting the snow and the streets had a slushy appearance.  Skating, however, could still be indulged in, and a good number enjoyed that wholesome exercise during the afternoon and evening.  The banks suspended business for the day, the postoffice remained open only long enough to permit the patrons to get their mail and the general merchandise stores closed their doors at 10 o’clock in the morning.

NORTH BEND EAGLE  14 Dec 1905 – CHRISTMAS CANTATA...Saturday night, Dec 23rd, the pupils of the Methodist Sunday School will render the Christmas Cantana “Around the world with Santa Claus” – On account of lack of room in the church, the program will be given in the Opera House.  This is a Cantata that will please both old and young.  The Captain and crew of sailors will sail around the world with their big Christmas ship, from which Santa Claus distributes his gifts to the children of all nations.  The stage will be decorated to represent the ship.  Fourteen different nations will be represented by the children in costume.  The Orchestra will assist.  ...  Everybody come and have a good time.

Arthur A Momany  to Pearlie Adams on  02 Dec
H J Shaffer to Mrs Belle Phelps on 04 Dec
Chas W Lindgren to Sadie L Bowman on 04 Dec
William H Kerkow to Mrs Antonie Kerkow on 04 Dec
Roy M Morse to Ida M Dodge on 11 Dec
Clifford D Phillips to Valdena J Bang on 11 Dec
Geo J Coddington to Elsie V Baxter on 14 Dec
Henry T Wheeler to Francis C Bush on 15 Dec
August Moore to Ruthie Falconer on 18 Dec
Joe E Stone to Florence H Foote on 18 Dec
Eugene Hudson to Hannah Nelson on 18 Dec
Jacob P Newton to Lura L Smith on 20 Dec
William J Swan to Birdine Langer on 24 Dec 
John Brehn(Brehm) to Katie Holstein on 25 Dec
Adam Jacoby to Mrs Katie Jacoby on 25 Dec
Coe Augustus to Bessie McKennan on 25 Dec
Ernest E Durnin to Lillie M Williamson on 25 Dec
Richard B Fields to Nina Nicodemus on 25 Dec
Jacob Kavich to Elizabeth Perlman-not completed
Louis M Wagner to Jennie Struve on 26 Dec
Ole Syverson to Betta Pierson on 28 Dec 

Update version, May 2001 of the Kerchal family by
          D Ray Kerchal(beautiful book)

Floyd Stork gave our society a story on Oetinghausen, Germany, where his family was from.  

Hooper, Nebraska – a story on this Dodge county town as found in the HOOPER SENTINEL of 1892, 1900, and 1901.  (a flyer will appear in the Winter issue regarding the purchase of this book).  Compiled by Claire Mares.
This is indexed.

CHRISTMAS LORE

Noted in Hooper Sentinel 19 Dec 1929  1:3

Christmas is observed in commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but it is really a day set apart for the  celebration of an event, rather than an actual anniversary.  While among the masses Christmas is supposed to be the birthday of the Savior, scholars and educated persons generally understand that the day, or even the year, of Christ’s birth is not definitely known.

The date, December 25, approximates that of Roman Saturnalia, the winter festival of the heathen Britons the Scandinavian Yule and the later Roman festival of the sunged Mithra.

Christmas having become through the centuries an 
almost universal festival, it is but natural that many odd customs and superstitions should have been connected with its observance in various countries and at various periods.

One of the oldest superstitions was that animals were endowed with the power of speech on Christmas.  According to another, persons born on that day were destined to be lucky all their lives.  A polish version was that what one did on Christmas would govern his actions during the following year.

According to an ancient belief, each kind of evergreen used for decorative purposes at Christmastide conferred special blessings on those who passed under it.  To pass under holly insured good fortune, bay denoted victory, while laurel imparted beauty and poetic skill.  Horses were washed and bled on the day following Christmas, as a means of preserving them from harm.

The mythical Santa Claus has been known by many name-Kris Kringle, St Nicholas, Kneckt Ruprecht, Rob in Goodfellow and others.  In Germany a Christmas visitor known as Krampus an ugly dwarf, was supposed to carry off naughty children.

Christmas was not adopted as a regular festival by the Christian church until the fourth century, since which time its observance has spread throughout the civilized world, carrying its message of “Peace on earth; good-will toward men.” 

FREMONT LORE?  

Fremont Daily Herald 8 Dec 1877 1:6

Tom Wilson’s new livery stable on the corner of Broad and Fifth streets has received its finishing touches and is now one of the largest and most complete livery, sale and feed stables in the State.  He has a large number of first-class conveyances beside a lot of splendid buggies and buggy teams, and when it comes to saddle horses he can beat the State.  At this stable the farmers can get their teams as well fed and taken care of at as reasonable prices as at any stable in the city.  Remember the place, corner of Fifth & Broad streets.