REMEMBER WHEN FROM THE PAST--MERRY CHRISTMAS PAST

REMEMBER WHEN
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Kenna Holm - Nebo Reporter

MERRY CHRISTMAS' PAST

MERRY CHRISTMAS! What a beautiful time of year. I just wish we could keep this wonderful
feeling all year long. It seems Christmas brings out the best in most of us. (I think there are probably still some Scrooges). I Love Christmas. I love the music, the lights, the merriment it brings and of course the
parties and food.
Since this issue falls on Christmas, I wanted to title it "Merry Christmas' Past". I remember when
you didn't start really thinking of Christmas until Thanksgiving was over. And then the stores would start decorating the windows and the gifts got displayed and of course Santa.
    When I was little, I remember we would get so excited for Santa to come to town. He would come in on the old Fire Engine with the lights and sirens going. There would be hundreds of people crowded around to see him. I remember my dad putting me up on his shoulders so I could see Santa.
They always had a big tree right in the street on Utah Avenue and Main street. It set back to the
East of Main between the old Library and City Drug on the corner. We loved the lights and ornaments on
the tree. I don't remember any lights and decoration on the streets but who needed them--we had the tree.
    It seemed each year someone in town had a big old pine tree that they donated to the city for the Christmas Tree. (what an honor to have YOUR tree used)
Santa would give out littlebrown papersacks with goodies in it to each child. In those days, I don't  remember seeing a Santa in every store and on every corner.
    A few days ago, I even saw a Santa on a Harley. I just wished I could have gotten my camera out
sooner and got a picture of him.
    As bad as I hate snow, it is pretty to have it for Christmas. We used to love the snow when we
were kids. (I guess we were normal) We'd go out and build snowmen and play fox and geese and other
games in the snow and come in half frozen but we didn't seem to mind it a bit.. Now I'd rather watch it
from the warm house than be out in it.
Remember when we had the ski lift and a fun hill to ski down up the canyon? The ski lift was run
by an old Ferguson tractor motor with a shed built over it. The rope was fixed someway around the wheel
and had little T bars so many feet apart that you could grab on to and be pulled to the top of the hill. They
also had a little snack shack that the Jr. Chamber of Commerce built you could buy coffee or cocoa at. I'm not sure how long it was there but it was fun while it lasted. The trees that they cleared off that hill was hauled down to Dr. L.D. Pfouts and he built his barn with it. His son Jim also told me they had
competitions at the slopes and even Alf Engen, the skier,  had a hand in it. Now I didn't know who that was
but apparently he has quite a name with skiing. He's the one that got Alta Ski Resort started.
I'm sure that shocks a lot of people to know we had a ski area up Payson canyon but we did. The
cement base the lift motor sat on is still up there but the ski run has filled in with foliage. They even put
a little park in at the bottom of the hill. Dale Barnett, Dix Grace and a few others helped put the picnic
tables in. That was in the early 50's. They were part of the Jr. Chamber of Commerce.
    We all  loved Forsey's Variety Store because at Christmas time they had all the Christmas mix candy in a big display as you came in the door. It had chocolates, ribbon hard tack, gum drops, filled hard tack and a lot of different kinds all in together.  You can't find that mix anymore.  I loved that store to.
Isn't it fun to see all the excitement with the little kids. The Christmas I remember best was when
I was just about 4 or 5 and my two older brothers, DeLynn and LaVell gave me a little white fur coat and muff. Boy did I think I was something. That was so special to me and I had that coat for a long time. (I have some great brothers). They always spoiled me because I was the babyand the onlygirland theywere
10 and 12 years older than me.
Years ago Bill Williams wrote a song that our trio sang a lot at Christmas time. It always brought
a tear to my eye. I wanted to close my column today (and actually the last column for this year) with the
words to that song. It goes:
I remember Christmas' past around a Christmas tree. Funny how those memories last
--they come back to me. Old familiar carols, snowy Christmas Eve. I can still hear Santa's
reindeer when we all believed.

    Wish I could return once more where the stockings hung.
    Got a Christmas yearning for days when we were young.
    Why do little children have to grow so fast.
    ‘Cause come December, I remember Christmas past.
    Never can return somehow, memories have to do.
    Younger hearts are learning now, Christmas joys we knew.
    All the little children seem to grow so fast.
    But come December, they'll remember, Merry Christmas Past.

Doesn't it touch your heart to remember when....