Bio: Thums, Madelyne - Holiday Recollections (1981)

Contact: Kathleen E. Englebretson
Email: kathy@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Thums

---Source: Marshfield News Herald (15 December 1981)

Having been raised in an Italian neighborhood outside of Chicago, I have many different memories of Christmas past. One in particular floods my mind every year.

Family illnesses kept my parents scrambling in hopes of paying their bills and caused us to have some sparse Christmases. One particular year, we were especially strapped, so mom made all the gifts we gave. Baking was inexpensive then, so we baked cookies for days. Every available flat surface was piled with them. We helped mom pin together mule-type house slippers from spare fabric which she'd sew on her old sewing machine. With money so tight, it appeared that we would have to do without a tree. My family all felt badly about the prospect of a no-tree Christmas but everyone avoided the topic so as not to make others feel worse. We decorated our small apartment as best we could, but the living-room still looked empty, Being a child, I really felt hollow but tried to keep my feeling private. In our Italian neighborhood, all sorts of regional goodies were being prepared, songs were sung, people were visiting and the excitement was mounting. Christmas was only a day or so away when we had a visit from my uncle. His name was Jim but we always called him Uncle Meemo. Uncle Meemo came in stamping and sniffling and dragging the scrawniest, thin-needled, lopsided, beautiful tree we ever saw. It was plunked in our living-room and appraised from every angle. When Uncle Meemo was satisfied with its location, he left with a wave and a "Buona Natale." My brother and I decorated our tree as best we could, taking care not to topple the skinny spruce. It was the loveliest tree I can recall. Uncle Meemo wasn't given to being overly demonstrative and I've often wondered what prodded him to do what he did. A tree has since become extremely important to me and each year as my own children help to decorate ours I can't help but recall Uncle Meemo's tree -- lopsided, scrawny and cherished.

Madelyne Thums, who lived on Route 2, Curtiss, has been a Wisconsin resident since 1967. She is married, has three children and has been employed with the Colby School District for seven years. She enjoys opera, music, reading and meeting people.