Soon the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas will fill the air bringing with it flashbacks of memories from holidays long ago. What is it about these sensory experiences that can instantly take us back in time…

I’m interested in winter memories from the Gary, South Dakota area. These memories give us a personal insight to our regional history and how events locally and throughout the world may have affected a particular era. What was Christmas and winter like for families during the Great Depression? War time? Blizzards? Commerce in Gary, SD?

Please leave a comment and share this post if you have any interesting memories from years gone by. I would like to share some of these memories during the Gary Community Club Christmas event on December 4, 2016 at the Gary American Legion starting at 12 noon.

Thank you for helping us walk down memory lane.

An example from the late Bernice Jensen, Gary, SD: …In the 40’s I was cleaning up stairs. I opened Mothers trunk and there were gifts for everyone, mixed nuts, and candy. I went downstairs and told Mother I found all the good stuff. What do you mean? We came up stairs and she looked with in the trunk with a worried look on her face. That looks like Jackie’s work. When he came in he was put on the hot seat. He was about ten years old, and he had purchased a defense stamp and when you filled a book it was worth 27.50, I believe. Jackie looked so pitiful with tears in his eyes. He looked at Mother and said, what would you rather have, 27 dollars or good memories. The next Christmas brother Henry was not with us. He passed away the October before. When we opened our gifts, it was quiet. Mother turned to Jackie and said, Jack, you were right, memories are better than money. Remember how pleased Henry was over his gift. You gave him a new billfold. That’s enough of digging up old bones. Cherish your beautiful memories and forget the bad ones. ~ excerpt from “Down Memory Lane” by Bernice Jensen