PERI(INS JOURNAL-THURS, DAY, DECEMBER 25,1997
ristmas of
I
II
Cheek
a stocking hung for me the Christmas of 1924. theater. What excitement! Santa would be there! He'd bring ev-
remember it. It was five days before my third birth- eryone a present. WOW!
also sure it was one of my siblings' stockings 'cause I got Well, the place was already half-full. But we did get the entire
pair of shoes just before Christmas 1925. Cheek Clan on one row--a back row, just like church. Santa wasn't
of Bend, Texas at that time had about a dozen homes, around but Mama assured me he'd be there as soon a all the people
stores, a dry goods store, blacksmith shop and onecould get there. The place became packed. Still no Santa. Finally,
and snack bar. Bend also had a combined grade and a guy took the stage and told us he'd heard something about Santa
)l and two or three Protestant churches. The school being on his way. In the meantime he introduced a clown, dressed
took in a number of farms and the Little Bend District, like a bum, who entertained us for awhile. There were a few other
Colorado, transferred their school-aged kids to Bend. acts, also.
the fall, there was a movie theater. An 8-foot high wall Finally, finally--Santa came out from behind that big cedar
we--with no top, for Saturday night silent shoot-era-ups. Christams tree Ho-ho-h-o-ing WOW! Applause shook the walls. That
the local churches, I think Methodist, had usually held a big tree was covered with presents and after a couplf of Ha-ha-
, Christmas affair. Christmas tree, Santa Claus, the whole has, Santa began taking therfi off and handing them to his help-
It was always ramrodded by an elder who was the ers. I believe they were Jolly Byrd and Claudia Cates. There was
r leader and I think a church deacon. He and his Sam- a present on the tree for everyone in the community.
going out of town for the holidays and no one else took I don't know how long it took, but I was the last Cheek kid to get
Christmas project. On his way out of town, while gassing a present. She finally called out Red Cheek! I almost didn't know
Smith's station, he remembered that there would be who that was. I'd never been called anything but Redl With each
Tree, etc. I feel he was just showing disappoint- present they delivered to a child, they handed out a sack of mixed
no one had come forward to do what he'd always done.candy and nuts.
some women who felt it was a slap at the whole cam- As we paraded back home after the finale, my sister Willie and
brother Joe were wondering if Santa had been by and filled or
lbefore continuing, let's be reminded: in 1925, women had stockings. I felt since we'd already seen him, he wouldn't come
to vote for a half-dozen years. Many men only by. My sister Coy informed me he'd be by. He'd come in via one
tax for themselves, not their wives; and in a great part of the windows she'd already shown me (we had no fireplace).
(probably elsewhere, too) politics were Men's Talk! Now, of the two back windows where Santa was to come through,
like children, weren't even supposed to listen, much less one was over where I slept The other over where my oldest sister
Lottie slept. (I slipped at the foot of her bed.) I laid in bed, watch-
Walt Smith's wife heard about the remark that was made-- ing that window like a chicken watching a hawk. Lottie told me to
it wasI She went to the blacksmith's wife, Ms. Claudia "get to sleep or he'll never come in!"
Then to Jolly Byrd, mother of San Sabian Emmitt Lloyd I wanted to see him again. Get closer than I was at the theater.
The three became a committee to have a Christmas party Even with all the excitement, we kids finally got to sleep. And
Community. One could never imagine the beehive of ac- sure enough, old Santa filled our stockings, an apple, orange, rock
took place for the next 56 hours. It was noon, Decem- candy and one present. My present was a coloring book and 5
, when Ms. Cates came to our yard fence, crayons.
Cheek, I have the movie theater for a Christmas tree. Can the Christmas of 1926, we were picking cotton up near
us three loads of wood? we'll pay you $2.50 a load!"Brownwood, 90 miles away, so I don't know if these ladies re-
her, "Sure and I'll donate one of the loads." She had peated their BEND project. I don't even know if those ladies were
to get the wood on a place down toward German officially ever thanked. I do know they were appreciated by a
at Felie Lewis' or at the Wilhelms. We had to get the whole passel of kids--especially those 9 little.Cheek kids who re-
by the 23 so it could be cut by a buzz saw. ceived a joyous Christmas. I still remember about half the song.
and the Cheek kids got the wood there on time and some- Final Note:
three ladies contacted every family in the two school Bends early residents took Christmas very seriously. Christmas
I've been told that Ms. Irene Gibson, who taught first of 1913, Santa arrived at the Sholton Cedar brake camp ground.
grades got them the names of every kid in school. He got out, visited every tent and gave presents and goodies to
they got the names of us pre-schoolers and all the adults, every child there.
tree was a cedar, taller than the theater walls.. They My older half sister talked about it for a decade. Now year's
fire in the big corner stove about mid-afternoon." How later, it turns out that the man in that Santa's suit was Frank
heat a roofless structure? Moore, father of Jolly Moore Byrd in my story. He is also the
almost dark when it came time for Morn, Dad and the father of the Bend's oldest citizen and best ambassador--Mildred
younguns to take the hundred or so yard trip to the Moore Patterson.
• •..-- ::!
.... pizza that is good.
Surely I'm not the only vegetarian in town, but here is a veggie
1 (8 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits
....... ........... .................... by Elizabeth Wise:. 2 (36z ) pl gSC.' cream cheese, softened
, ~ ' • ~" '~ 1 cup sllce~[ ~jack olives '
my siblings and their"families would come h6 e on 3/4 cup chof ped tomatoes
2/3 cup sliced green olives
L we would have a feast at noon. After we all had over- 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
would say to Morn, "Well, Annie, this will do us, if you 1/3 cup chopped celery
supper." No one but Dad could get by with a remark 3 T. chopped sweet red pepper
Unroll biscuit dough, and press onto bottom and 1/4 inch up
.'Christmas, we can hurry up supper' with leftovers, such sides of a lightly greased 12 inch pizza pan. Prick with a fork and
bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack
(in pan). Spread cream cheese over crust and top with black ol-
.4 oz.) can condensed golden corn soup ires and remaining ingredients. If you want to, you can chill it,
but I don't want to.
leftover vegetables: potatoes, carrots, broccoli, New Year's day is fast approaching, and time to cook black-eyed
etc. peas and sow belly; with cornbread, pickles, onions, etc. That's
cheddar cheese supposed to be what we eat on January first, to have good luck.
)an, mix soup, milk, and vegetables. Over medium heat, I'm still waiting to make resolutions, which will probably be bro-
a boil. Cover and simmer, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in ken.
until cheese is melted.
ii!i' ,:~iii:
Red Cheek, the writer of this story ",4. Christmas To Remember', is
shown above entertaining pre-schoolers at the Methodist Church
Day Care Center a couple of weeks age
ml .......... •
ii i i II
Need Legal Help? ":
BRI= N D,A INI I PP
Attorney At Law
124 S. Main • Perkins
547-2479
123 West Seventh *Stillwater
743-2479
or 1-800-724-6477 •
(Please Call. , For Appointment)
iiI-
.................... ~'i .............. ~'~ T f'F' il I~
I I I.~ ]II I II |
Appliances i
i:
111 547-2477
Open M yi r t]gh rjday 8...6, Saturday 8-5:30
l
Wall
the Mexican Christmas
its own rich gamut of traditional Christmas customs,
them from Spain, and some developed here in Mexico.
gringos they have borrowed the Christmas tree and Santa
added them to the Mexican Christmas.
trees are popular where I live, department stores sell
trees and natural ones. This past winter, Lilia and I
1 Mexico City on our honeymoon in late December. We saw
artificial Christmas tree set up in the giant square in
national capitol building in Mexico City. Some Mexi-
the use of Christmas trees as a foreign influence in
Since the practice came from the U.S. But don't forget that
icans got the Christmas tree custom from the Germans!
is also well-known in Mexico now, and you can see
around Christmas time. One Santa Claus I
on the traditional costume and everything, but
:beard and mustache were drooping and his real black
was peaking outl In Spanish, "Ha, Ha, Ha!" is spelled
in' the U.S., the song "Jingle Bells" is considered a
song, but if you reflect on the lyrics you see that it's
song but rather a winter song. But because
association of winter with Christmas, it's now
a Christmas song. It was translated into Spanish, well,
translated, really a different poem was set to the same
It begins, "Christmas bells unceasingly, announcing
• , that tt,day is Christmas., There s nothing about snow
t aish version. However, White Christmas, which is
about snow, exists in a Spanish rendition.
• 1.1
ESTATE JEWELRY |,'
Some people criticize American influence on Mexican Christ-
mas, but ordinary people don't care what anthropoligists or ac-
tivists say, they do what seems fun or interesting. Besides, these
customs have not destroyed the Mexican Christmas, they've just
been added to it.
In the U.S., people often say that Christmas has been commer-
cialized. Of course it's true, But it's been commercialized pre-
cisely because it's important to people. Christmas is very com-
mercialized in Mexico also. And you know how that in the U.S., it
seems like that every year, the merchants promote Christmas ear-
lier? Well, this year a store in Torreon already had been putting
up Christmas trees and decorations in September!
Feliz Navidad!
The Journal wtll be closed Thursday through Satur-
day for the Christmas holiday. See you Monday, De-
cember 29.
Repairs
1/2 mi. W on Freeman Rd. in PERKINS
(next to Cimarron Bingo Casino & Smoke Shop)
1997 New Year's• Eve Package
i , Rate lncludzs:
I~ll "~ • I Bottle *Champagne
[~#ml]l ~with 2 Glosses
" Late Checkout at 2 PM
Rau lndudu:
2Jidtam
$159.00 (2-4 people)
$80.00 Gift Cerlifionta to
Chorleston's Restaurant
2 Bottles *Chomlmgne
with 4 Glar~ec
M Complimentary Continental Late Checkout at 2 PM
!and Vickie Rylant, local jewelers for t: ereo o,, "Nonalcoholic m, eiiabl• Complimentary Continental
)4 Breakfast "Nonek'ohoik available
B4 years, now offer by appointment
U e estate jewelry, i ~arO~¢ _.,.°.:
appointment, please call between 9 LEXINGTON•
1200 S. Meridian
and I0 p.m., at . HOTELSUITES O o om
Located: 1/2 mile South
Pq
(405
1,4
&VICKIE " t, - , -
A, •
|
