Merry
Christmas 2013
Christmas 2013
Kathryn and I hope this Christmas will
be a special time of year for each of you and your families.
be a special time of year for each of you and your families.
As I think back over the many Christmases
of my life, many of them are especially memorable. Mostly, memorable because we spent them with you our treasured family and friends.
of my life, many of them are especially memorable. Mostly, memorable because we spent them with you our treasured family and friends.
I can remember some details of most of my
early Christmases, there was a windup tractor, a glass washing machine (there is a story about that but I’ll save it for another time), my tricycle, the tinker toys, etc. But the Christmas of
1942 stands out as one of the most memorable, and I owe much of that to my “teasie”
Uncle Bruce. who never missed an opportunity to make things “interesting” for his nieces and nephews.
early Christmases, there was a windup tractor, a glass washing machine (there is a story about that but I’ll save it for another time), my tricycle, the tinker toys, etc. But the Christmas of
1942 stands out as one of the most memorable, and I owe much of that to my “teasie”
Uncle Bruce. who never missed an opportunity to make things “interesting” for his nieces and nephews.
December of 1942 found our family staying with Aunt Hilda and
her nephew, my mother’s brother, Uncle Bruce inMt. Pleasant
her nephew, my mother’s brother, Uncle Bruce in
As we left our home in the mountains a heavy snow storm moved in, effectively cutting of all access to our former home until spring. My father was reassigned to the Salt Lake office, but fromThanksgiving to New Years, while my parents were searching for a place to live in Salt Lake, (not an easy thing to do in those wartime years) our family
stayed in Mt. Pleasant.
As Christmas approached, Uncle Bruce
repeatedly cautioned me that since we had moved so late in the year, I shouldn’t be prepared to have Santa miss me at our new address.
repeatedly cautioned me that since we had moved so late in the year, I shouldn’t be prepared to have Santa miss me at our new address.
On about the 15th of December, Dad asked me if I wanted to go with him and Uncle Bruce to the Mountains east of
did, however, take the opportunity to learn some of the great sounding new expletives
I was hearing.
When I got home, I was anxious to show off my new vocabulary and got my mouth washed out with soap for my efforts. Dad and Uncle Bruce got scolded but they didn’t get the soap treatment. I remember of thinking that maybe Mom and Aunt Hilda had just given up on them.
A few days before Christmas, Uncle Bruce really started to give me the business, he explained that I had probably waited too long to let Santa know that we had moved so he could re-arrange his pack to deliver my presents in Mt. Pleasant, and that my presents would probably be left in our old snowbound house and worse yet, before we could get there in the spring to pick them up, skiers or snowshoe hikers would get there and find my presents. Thinking them abandoned, they would naturally take them home for their own children, who, unlike the children for whom they were intended, would appreciate them.
Well that really got my attention. Uncle Bruce promised to do what he could to “help” me in my desperate situation and he did. Mom and Aunt Hilda didn’t say much but they did assure me that Santa would find me as he had found other children through the centuries.
To understand the rest of the story, you need to understand that, like other families, my mothers family used to have a cutter, complete with a set of sleigh bells.
In those early years of my life I didn’t know about the cutter or the sleigh bells, but Uncle Bruce did.
Early on Christmas Eve day, Uncle Bruce
came back home with great news. He had seen Santa and explained my situation.
Santa had agreed that my situation was desperate and that he would try to work me in to his busy schedule, but that I should remember that he might have to come by a bit early and that the strict roles could not be changed. Before he could come I must be in bed and asleep.
came back home with great news. He had seen Santa and explained my situation.
Santa had agreed that my situation was desperate and that he would try to work me in to his busy schedule, but that I should remember that he might have to come by a bit early and that the strict roles could not be changed. Before he could come I must be in bed and asleep.
In the late afternoon of Christmas Eve, thing really started to happen. Just before dinner, I suddenly heard the sound of sleigh bells, but running to the window, I saw nothing. Soon afterward, Uncle Bruce came into the Kitchen and asked if we had heard the bells. We told him we had and he warned that I should probably have been in bed and asleep because Santa may not be able to make another run.
During dinner, Uncle Bruce suddenly remembered some important chore and needed to be excused for a few minutes. While he was out we again heard sleigh bells.
During dinner, Uncle Bruce suddenly remembered some important chore and needed to be excused for a few minutes. While he was out we again heard sleigh bells.
After coming back, Uncle Bruce asked if we had the bells and again warned that I should have been in bed and asleep, because Santa had already made two tries and may not be able to make another run for me. Aunt Hilda reassuringly said that I should just leave it to Santa. We heard sleigh bells again several times that afternoon and each time Uncle Bruce (after coming back into the house) would warn me that I should already have been in bed and asleep, because Santa could not just keep trying.
After Dinner, we held a family Christmas Eve Devotional in the parlor, where the Christmas tree was located and where I was to sleep. I was just frantic, but Aunt Hilda casually read from the Gospel of St. Luke and set
out a tray of goodies for Santa. We all heard bells once or twice more during the evening, but soon, excited as I was, I became so sleepy that I just couldn’t keep my eyes open.
out a tray of goodies for Santa. We all heard bells once or twice more during the evening, but soon, excited as I was, I became so sleepy that I just couldn’t keep my eyes open.
When I awoke on Christmas morning, I found that Santa had been right there in our parlor where I had slept, eaten the snack we had left him and just as Uncle Bruce had arranged, built a “Toyland Town all around our Christmas tree”.
It wasn’t until many years later that I realized that every time the sleigh bells rang, Uncle Bruce was away on some important errand.
Uncle Bruce went to great of effort to make sure that we had a great Christmas that year and I love him for it. But, I think he had just as much fun as I did.
I don’t remember what Santa brought that Christmas, but I do remember that he made the effort to find me. Over the years I have come to see the symbolism in this and recognize how grateful I am that the Prince of Peace has made the effort to come to find each of us, regardless of race, religion or status just as Santa found me
With Much Love, We Wish Each of You a Very Merry Christmas
David and Kathryn Gunderson
[1] The Duchesne Tunnel is part of an irrigation
project. It is located 18 mi east ofKamas , Utah
We returned to it in 1949
project. It is located 18 mi east of
We returned to it in 1949
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