FACEBOOK link:

Maple Grove History Museum

9030 Forestview Lane N.

(South Driveway)

Maple Grove, MN  55369

763-494-5983

​​​​​​​Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society

Maple Grove, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Recollections of Christmas

by Earl and Virginia Hoppenrath

"Earl woke up every Christmas morning to a live tree with many festive decorations.  Under the tree were toys and games (never new) which his mother had gotten at the Salvation Army.  The wife of a neighbor called “Whistling Jack” brought over a large bag of oranges, apples and nuts.

I recall Christmas eve preparations at the age of 10 began with a member of the family bringing in a milk can from the barn.  Auntie Myrtle lighted the kerosene lamp. The curling iron was heated in the lamp.  I had to sit on the cover of the milk can until every straight hair on my head was curled.  There were a lot of oohs and aahs from the hot iron. Ouch!Occasionally the iron was too hot and singed my hair.  Perish the thought that I would turn my head accidentally – it meant another burn.  When Aunt Myrtle finished curing my hair it meant I would dawn the new red polka dotted dress grandma had made for me.  My patent leather shoes were slicked up with Vaseline to look like new.  ( I was the middle child and always wore hand me downs) Last of all came the brilliant red bow for my hair.  Then I was whisked off by a neighbor to the old Danish church to sing a duet with a fellow student from the country school.  I finished singing there and my parents and family members waited with the horse and sled to take me to our church in town for our Sunday School program… Bags of goodies were passed out to all of the children .  Then the wax candles on the huge tree were lighted.  My grandfather stood by the tree with a large bucket of water and a dipper and doused out any candle that looked dangerous  while everyone sang Silent Night, Holy Night.  We left the  church and went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for a Christmas Eve celebration.  We fell asleep on the way home to the sound of melodious bells  in harmony with the clomping of the horses hooves on the snowy roads.

I had to wear a  parka hood which I had tried  to take  off several times. When it was finally removed,  there wasn’s a curl to show for all the efforts of the day before sitting all that time on the milk can."