Plymouth Magazine-Winter24-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 10
Allan and Carol Sieck
Jack Porter
What is your favorite Christmas tradition or memory?
Carol and I lived in the same farm home for 47 years before we
moved to Adel in retirement. For many years Carol’s mother would
host a day of cookie baking and decorating. At the end of the day the
participants would divide the hundreds of cookies they would create
and everyone would have Christmas cookies for the duration of the
holiday season. It was always a favorite day of the season and the year.
Carol still bakes many types of cookies during the holidays.
What is your favorite Christmas tradition or memory?
I’m Home Late Friday afternoon, Friday, December 24, 1971. I
arrived home getting out of a cab. I was rushed by my mom and dad
yelling and screaming with delight – their son was home after almost
two years serving in the U.S. Army. You see, I was not sure if I would
be allowed to be discharged from active duty in time to be home
for Christmas. I served in the 2nd Division, 6th Battalion 86th Field
Artillery, Battery D. We were stationed close to Panmunjom, South
Korea (86th parallel, which is where the 1953 Korean Armistice was
signed). We were the furthest north Army unit stationed in South
Korea to provide cover for the ground force stationed on the “wire”.
I was drafted in 1970 and became a radio/telephone operator (they
carry the radio for a forward observer who calls in artillery fire in
battle).
Mary O’Brien
What is your favorite Christmas
tradition or memory?
My favorite Christmas tradition involves
a family gift of a jolly red velvet suit, fluffy
white beard and brass jingle bells! During
Christmas Dinner 1983 the doorbell rang
and in walked Mr. Claus (aka our neighbor
and fellow Plymouth member, Annie
Koch Gaer)in the red velvet suit plus a few
pillows to create the all-important curves!
We were all a bit confused except for our mom! It was the day before
my parent’s first grandchild was born and our mom wanted to create
a new tradition, so she gifted the red suit to all of us. Since then,
Santa has shown up every single year handing out a small gift to the
grandchildren and now great grandchildren. There were years kiddos
eagerly sat on Santa’s lap not knowing who Santa’s helper was (always
an uncle with some strange accent) and there were years tears sprung
from fright of seeing Santa! There were years older siblings were bribed
to keep from sharing the secret and years were all adults believed in the
wonderment too! Forty years the jolly man has made an appearance
and each entrance and exit is just as amazing as in 1983!
What is your favorite Christmas song or hymn?
Christmas Eve’s 11 p.m. service’s “Silent Night” while Matins encircle
the congregation.
What’s your favorite Christmas food, dessert, or meal?
I am an eat dessert first type of person so of course the Christmas
Cookie and Treat Platter.
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I was stationed for about 13 months in South Korea and did not
come home during my tour. I applied to and was accepted by Iowa
State University to continue my college education by enrolling
in the Masters of Architecture program, which allowed me to be
discharged for the “Early Out” program. I did not know when or
how the process would take but when orders came, I was loaded onto
a Tiger Airlines flight to Se-Tac (Seattle-Tacoma) airport departing
about Dec. 22 that year. With the other plane loads of GI’s returning
from Viet Nam, Japan and Korea, we arrived at an out-processing
center and were told we probable would not be released until after
Christmas. Turns out the clerks worked all night and next day to
complete our paperwork, and we were put on flights home. In full
dress greens, I departed from Se-Tac through Denver to Des Moines,
and during that flight not one person talked to me or said, “thank
you for your service”.
After landing, my first action was to kneel and kiss the ground – I
was safe and home at last! I didn’t let my folks know I was in route
and would arrive home on Christmas Eve because I didn’t know for
sure. Soldiers could call home with the help of USO volunteers, but I
didn’t want to without knowing I would make it home by Christmas
Eve. The Porter side of my family has a Norwegian tradition to gather
and share oyster stew on Christmas Eve. I made it home in time to
celebrate the most wonderful Christmas and eat oyster stew. We still
carry on that Porter family tradition today, it’s just not always on
Christmas Eve.
What is your favorite Christmas song or hymn?
“Santa is Coming to Town”.
What’s your favorite Christmas food, dessert, or meal?
Oyster stew on Christmas Eve.
