Advent Calendar : Holiday Parties

Did your family throw a holiday party each year? Do you remember attending any holiday parties?


My family would gather together on Christmas Eve at my Grandma Wright's house and then on Christmas Day we would gather at my Grandma LeMaster's. It was a fun time to get together with family. As a kid, the holidays were one of the main times to see my cousins.


As kids, at Grandma Wright's house we would always pose for a family picture. It was a way for the kids to keep track of how tall we were. Grandma Wright had a plastic Santa that had a scroll with a list of each one of our names on it. Today, my parents keep up this tradition with their grandkids.

December 1971

Grandma LeMaster's house was always packed with our large family and there was always a lot of food - plenty of mashed potatoes, noodles, etc. After lunch would be the passing out of presents, then watching sports and falling asleep on the couch.

December 1983

One year that stands out in my memory was a Christmas party which must have been in 1983. My grandmother Wright was very ill, and had been living with us. She wanted to go to Anderson where her sister was having a Christmas party. The weather was blizzard-like conditions, but she was determined that we had to go. Somehow, dad was able to drive us through the drifting snow and bitter cold to my great-aunt's house so we could spend some time with them. I don't remember much about the party other than the fact that weather-wise, we should have stayed home, but the visit made grandma happy. She passed away the next spring.

A Merry Christmas

Mrs. Clarence Stuber
Spencerville Ohio
R.R. # 3


Dear Children


We got home 5.15 __ & __ did not get out wanted ___ to ____.  I went to church.  Revival closed.  my stomach is hurting me this morning did not feel good all night. ate to much.  glad we got to go to your house.  come home when you can. sure is raining this morn.  Hope you both stay well. 


Ma.


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This postcard, postmarked January 5, 1931, was sent to my paternal great-aunt, Vera (HALEY) STUBER.  "Ma" would be Vera's mother, Cora Belle (METZNER) HALEY.

Tombstone Tuesday: LeMasters

Source: Salamonia Cemetery (Jay County, Indiana), LeMasters marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 26 March 2009

Gerald Walker LeMASTERS and both wives, Mabel Agnes (KANTNER) LeMASTERS and Pearl L. (SMITH) LeMASTERS, as well as daughter, Maxine, are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Gerald was born January 15, 1896 in Jay County, Indiana, the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (WEHRLY) LeMASTERS.

Mabel was born November 9, 1898 in Jay County, Indiana, the daughter of Henry and Estella (BROWN) KANTNER.

Gerald and Mabel were married November 22, 1919 in Jay County, Indiana.  They had 3 children: Maxine Elizabeth, Marjorie Nadine and Eva Roberta.

Mabel died January 3, 1927 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.

Gerald married secondly on November 24, 1929 to Pearl Lovina SMITH, daughter of Samuel E. and Mary E. (BIBLER) SMITH.  They had two children: Mary Marie and Robert J.

Pearl was born April 23, 1894 in Jay County, Indiana.

Daughter Maxine Elizabeth LeMASTERS, was born August 20, 1920 in Jay County, Indiana and died April 2, 1931.

Smaller markers next to the larger marker spell the surname LeMaster.

Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.