"Early Ephraim Christmases Simple But Always Enjoyed" from the January 8, 1959 Door County Advocate
By Anna Miller
Early Ephraim Christmases Simple But Always Enjoyed
We intended to run this at Christmas time but it got lost in a big pile of papers. The story concerns getting ready for Christmas in Ephraim of the pioneer days. The writer is Mrs. Anna Miller, Chicago, whose father, the Rev. John Olsen, was pastor of the Ephraim Lutheran church from approximately 1883-93.
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The weather is cold at this time of the year, especially the nights, so these days one can spend more time indoors. The parsonage has its main rooms on the first floor, but the pastor's studio is on the second floor. In the kitchen is a cook stove always nicely polished. One cooks and heats with clean wood which gives out a welcome to anyone who enters.
For light one uses kerosene lamps which are placed in wall brackets on the wall. The lamps are cleaned and washed every day. The floor is scrubbed and clean, with a little rug here and there to make it cozy. There is a nice wood box behind the stove filled with kindling wood, and a larger wood box outside the kitchen door filled with nicely cut hardwood logs for the living room large stove, a stove with a large door in front and the lids on top.
The parlor is closed off with a door which is opened only on special occasions. A few days before Christmas Ma (my mother) would start baking some of the most delicious things, like fattimaner, cakes, pies, and Julekage, etc. I can smell it this very minute. She was a wonderful cook. She was born and raised in Norway so she knew just how to prepare the best. She was always dressed in small blue and white checked gingham aprons in the kitchen, but always in lovely large white aprons in the afternoons and evenings. Always in long skirts. In the evenings she would sew new dresses for us girls, and have them all ready for Christmas.
There were four girls, myself, Anna, then sister Inga, and sister Hulda and sister Lillie. There was one brother, Otto, who was away at college. Dad, our father, had a good, warm fine in the stove in his studio. One could hear him marching back and forth, back and forth, while he studied his sermon. He would always walk with his hands on his back.
He had about four sermons to prepare for Christmas, at Juddville, Ephraim, Sister Bay and Ellison Bay, besides all the extra ministerial duties like baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
When Dad and Ma had a few spare moments in the evening they would sit and make paper roses for the large Christmas tree in the Ephraim church, also for the small one in our home. After we girls had gone to bed Ma would sew lovely white dresses for our big dolls, just doll them up oh so pretty for Christmas. So on Christmas eve (Jule Aften) we would all clean up pretty and come to the table which was in the living room, the only warm room to sit and eat.
Ma always had a clean white lace collar on and a white apron. Dad always wore a white shirt and black vest. When we were all at the table Dad would open his Bible and read the Christmas story. After he had prayed we kids would pray:
I Jesu navn gaar vi til bord,
At spice og drikke paa dit ord,
Dig, Gud, til aere, os til gavn,
Saa faar vi mat i Jesu navn.
Amen.
Then and Ma would sing a verse or two in Norwegian, and then we ate our supper, which was most always rice pudding cooked in milk, and baked spare-ribs and potatoes. For Christmas dinner we had a full chicken dinner, Jule Kage fattimans; etc., all we could eat.
After the Jule Aften supper the doors were opened to the parlor. There we found a lovely Christmas tree, lit up and decorated so pretty. Inga and my dolls all dressed up pretty, and smaller dolls for Hulda and Lillie. We were so thrilled and happy. Dad and Ma never had much cash to do with, but they always had a way to make us happy. Dear old souls! They gave us a great big shiny apple each and some candy.
We were all so thankful, sang and then got ready for bed, a little later. The nights we had celebration in church the sky almost always was filled with bright stars, the sky, so pretty and blue, but so cold. Dad and Ma and Hulda and Lillie would go in a sled, no room for Inga and me so we ran to church. The minute we opened the church door the lights were all lit and the piney smell from the big Christmas tree was so lovely. The tree was all decorated, with Dad and Ma's. pastel pretty paper roses, etc.
As soon as Dad came the bell started to ring, then came the service. Then we kids spoke and sang our pieces. We then formed a circle, hand in hand, and marched around the tree singing carols. In Ephraim, people hung presents for each other on the tree. Their names were called and the gifts distributed. One old man had hung a small sack of potatoes and put his own name on it. He said no one ever gave him anything. We kids all got a nice big orange and a bag of candy. So this was the way we spent Christmas in Ephraim. The weather with 25 to 35 degrees below zero was common.
The snow lay even with the top of the fence posts and one could run on top of the snow banks without falling through. Solid ground was seldom seen before April. But God made us all happy and we all enjoyed Christmas.
True memories of Christmas spent at Ephraim, Door county, Wisconsin.
By Anna Miller
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
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