The Christmas that I was 6 years old, (1949) Kenneth was working in Seattle at the PI. There was a Blizzard that hit the area South of Seattle where we lived. The snow drifted & was chrystalized on the surface as the weather thawed & refroze in the night as more snow fell. The "silver thaw" gaveextra weight to branches of trees & to power lines.Uncle Kenny did not visit when he was working, as he had printer's ink on his hands, cloths & face. & he had not been paid yet. He called mom though, & talked enough to learn that dad had taken out a small loan out to by plants to use in the Spring in his landscaping. Now the majority of them were dead. He told mom that she was not to worry, as he had been paid for the work he had done. When dad got home, he said that he was sure we would never see Ken as he would get drunk if he had money. Dad had told her that all of the money that he earned workingfor the Christmas tree stand he had given to the bank for the payment on the loan he had. So now there would be no Christmas presants or special foods for the holiday. Uncle Parm had iven dad a 6' tall tree. that was beautifut. but dad did not bring it in from the truck. While we kids all went to bed. we could see what they were doing to erect the tree & make every thing Christmassy as Grandmom Wilber directed as we looked through the wholes in the "Walls of Jerico" as mom called the blankets that separated the bedroom area from the living area. In the morning before it became light on Christmas day, we got up as dad had to feed the chickens, collect eggs & milk the cow. while he was doin that, I saw coal dust on each of our white socks & a lump the odd size & shape of coal. in each of their toes. Dad had always said that bad children received coal in their socks.
When dad returned from the barn, we all set down for breakfast. I had not noticed that the lump in the toe of the socks, had become smooth & round. As we were eating breakfast, I saw a face in the kitchen window which frihtening to me. When dad went to chek on the porch, he found Uncle Kenny with some packages, which were Kenny said from Santa who had forotten how to find the Wilber household in Kent & had given him this pack full of gifts for 3 good little kids. There he was on the porch, until dad invited him in. He had three boxes. Glenn had a Dump Truck, Gloria & I each had a horsman dall 11" tall; one was Princess Elizabeth & one was Princess Margaret Then he took out a small envelope that had in it a lovely lace blue scarf for mom (Kathryn) & the last thin that came out from the bag, was a large honey cured ham, & a bottle of grape juice.
It was the best Christmas that I have ever remembered other htan the Christmas that I was married. That is all because of what Uncle Kenny did.
