Ralph Heiden - Many people mentioned the Christmas Eve’s at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. What do you remember about those parties?

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - After church everybody would come over and people would be all over the house, sitting in the bedrooms and everywhere. There were so many people in the house all at once on that night!

Mildred (Roggerman) Heiden - I used to wonder why Grandma (right holding Bruce Eipperle) would set quietly in the background during those parties. Well, after I had all my children and grandchildren home at once, I could begin to understand. It gets so hectic.

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - It got to be too much. Pa went down to the basement one time and put an extra brace under the floor because he was afraid that so many people being there at once would collapse the floor.

Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - The men used to try to play cards out in the dining room and the kids would race around the whole house. They would tear around that table. You could just see Pa get frustrated but he never said anything.

Mary Lou (Heiden) Opfermann - I remember Helen saying that the next morning she would find half-eaten sandwiches down beneath the furniture.

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - There would be food everywhere and wrapping paper wadded all over the place. Christmas Day was never anything special for us. People would go to the other side of their families for visits. We would be all by ourselves, cleaning up the mess and returning chairs we borrowed from the church.

Mary Lou (Heiden) Opfermann - I remember Grandpa got plenty of shirts, pipes and tobacco for presents at Christmas.

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - Ma would sit there in the living room and unwrap her gifts. She and Pa both got a present from everybody who came. The children all drew names and then got a present from whoever picked their name. Sometimes your godparent gave you a present too.

Helma (Heiden) Nickel - I had seven godchildren to buy presents for each year. Five girls and two boys.

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - I remember one time Ma and Pa gave me a harmonica for Christmas.

Helma (Heiden) Nickel - When we were young, we would usually get something like a sled or a wagon for all the brothers and sisters to use.

Ralph Heiden - Everyone would go to the service at St Matthew Lutheran Church on Christmas Eve. The kids were part of a Christmas pageant play. What do you remember about those?

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - Yeah, my heart was always beating like crazy before we had to stand up in front of everyone and speak our lines. I was so scared to do that sometimes.

Helma (Heiden) Nickel - I remember when they had the real candles on the tree in the church. Carl Miller stood nearby with a fishing pole that had a wet sponge attached to it. He was supposed to put the candles out when they burned down close to the tree.

Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - We used to have candles on the tree at home too but Pa would never allow us to light them.

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - Pa was always concerned about fires in the house.