Pat Mulso, Preserving Our Past

I’m sitting here on this very cold evening staying warm by the fireplace and thinking of Christmas past.

I remember going to church on each Christmas Eve in my new outfit that my mother made each year for each of us children.

The one I remember best was a charcoal-colored skirt with a red horse appliqud on the bottom right-hand side. That same year she made my younger sister a light gray skirt with a pink lamb on it.

When we got home from church, Santa had already been there and left our gifts under the tree.

At church we would always get brown paper bags filled with an apple and an orange and some Christmas candy.

Back then we usually had the children’s Christmas program as part of the Christmas Eve service and nearly every member of the church was there to see their child or grandchild recite his or her part. I grew up in a community with a population of 200 (I believe all were related in one way or another to us) and the surrounding area was very rural so we all new each other quite well and our lives revolved very closely around those country churches.

We didn’t usually get a lot of gifts &045; a toy from Santa, some new socks or underwear and the outfit that Mom made us. Once my older sisters and brother earned enough money to buy gifts. I remember getting some Nancy Drew books and a bank and scarf, which I still have 45 years later.

Life was much simpler then, I remember doing my first Christmas shopping with the money I had saved from my allowance (which was 5 cents per week).

I saved one whole dollar, enough money in 1959 to buy a gift for my mom and dad, grandma, my three sisters and my brother.

I had to be thrifty, because I wanted to have 3 cents left so I could buy a treat for my younger sister and I (candy bars at the neighborhood store at that time were 3 cents and Debbie and I would gladly share a candy bar).

My family always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve after church and then we would get together with several of our cousins on Christmas morning to see what we each got and if any of us got a new game or puzzle we would play it together.

Speaking of Memories of Christmas Past, our open house at the museum last Sunday was well attended and we want to thank everyone in the community who came out to visit us and join in the Christmas spirit of the day.

We had over 250 in attendance, making it one of the best-attended in several years.

Many visitors came and spent the whole afternoon, which was great. We hope they all enjoyed the program, the opportunity to visit with friends, look at the exhibits, have coffee, cider and cookies and see the new book, &8220;Glimpses of Freeborn County 1930-1980.&8221;

The book is a fund-raiser for the museum.

Linda Evenson, our librarian, did extensive research, Bev Jackson, (at that time executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum) compiled the information and the book committee reviewed Bev’s text and chose the pictures to be included in the book from the collection the museum has.

The book is on sale at the museum for $34.95 + $2.27 tax and all proceeds will benefit the museum once the cost of publishing is paid back to the sponsors.

I would like to thank our sponsors for making it possible for us to complete this project which we believe all members of our community will enjoy.

The sponsors are:

Albert Lea Business Development Center, Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home, Edward Jones Investments, Herb Anderson and Security Bank Minnesota.

We would also like to thank all the volunteers who helped make the open house a success.

Whether you baked cookies, served on the program committee or museum board, were a part of the program or a member of the staff, thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you. You are appreciated!

A special thank you to Morris Furniture for loaning us the fireplace for our program setting.

Our community is very giving, something we can be proud of. Remember someone less fortunate this Christmas; touch the heart of someone in need. &8216;Tis the season to give.

May you have a safe and happy holiday season.

(Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum in Albert Lea.)