Gary “Stub” and Linda Swenson share their Christmas memories and traditions

by Laura Giammattei

BOYCEVILLE/CONNORSVILLE — Lifetime residents of the Boyceville area Gary “Stub” and Linda Swenson whimsically reminisce upon their Christmas traditions and memories from both their childhoods and together as parents and grandparents.

Linda was born to Palmer and Lucille Carlsrud in March of 1944 and is the eldest sibling of brothers, Alan and Kenneth. She has lived in Boyceville her whole life and now resides in Connorsville. When she was three years old, her parents bought a farm about a quarter mile just north of Connorsville.

As a young girl, Linda recalls her father going into the woods and cutting down a pine tree every year. A smile grows on her face as she remembers how scant the tree was some years and how her father would drill holes into it to fill it out with branches from other pine trees.

Sometimes at school, she and the other children would make their own ornaments and decorations out of paper and other materials. These would be displayed on the tree and around the house.

While her grandparents were alive, they would always celebrate on Christmas Day at their home in Boyceville, where aunts and uncles and cousins would gather to celebrate together.

Linda remembers her grandparents serving oyster stew every year, which she was not fond of. Luckily, there was plenty of other foods to eat including crepes, Norwegian dishes and lots of cookies.

There wasn’t much of a fuss over presents when Linda was a child, though they generally received a lot of clothing at Christmastime. One year, Linda and her brother Alan got handmade wooden desks and stools that their uncle made. Another year, she received handmade mittens from relatives in Norway.

After her grandparents passed away, her mother took over hosting Christmas where all the aunts, uncles and cousins would continue the tradition of gathering to celebrate the holiday together.

Gary, also known as “Stub”, was one of four boys born to Kenneth and Florence Swenson, in August of 1943. They lived in the Hersey/Woodville area on a farm until Stub was about twelve years old when they re-located to another farm in Boyceville. His brothers are Jim, Bill and Steve and are all still in the area today.

Stub recalls his Christmases being spent with his parents, siblings, grandfather and other extended family when he was a young boy. He particularly remembers Christmas being extra special when his grandfather moved in with them around the time he started school.

His grandfather would sometimes carve him and his brothers wooden teddy bears or a gun that shot rubber bands. “That was extremely special to us,” he recalls fondly.

A typical Christmas Day in the Swenson Family would include church in the afternoon (or a Christmas Eve service), coming home and doing chores, maybe opening up one small present; usually a pair of socks or gloves and then spending time with family.

His dad’s side of the family would come over or they would travel to his grandmother’s house. After his grandparents passed away, his mother took over hosting Christmas every year thereafter.

The family did not have a television, so entertainment came for the adults in playing card form with conversation and featured playing outside in the snow for the kids. Stub remembers their driveway having a slight incline, which they used as a slide.

Both Stub and Linda vividly recall their school Christmas programs, which were a big deal. All the parents would be there to watch the children sing Christmas carols or put on a short skit. Stub also recalls a large Christmas tree and Santa Claus being there too.

Stub and Linda married in 1963 and had three sons. As parents, Christmas Eve was reserved for immediate family. Their holiday traditions revolved around getting together with family, eating a lot of good food engaging in conversation and of course, going to church. There was some gifts exchanged, but not a lot and they tried to keep their gifting practical.

Stub and Linda now have five grandchildren and enjoy spoiling them with lots and lots of gifts at Christmastime. They also watch a lot of football and eat lots of food.

For the past four or five years, they usually give their grandchildren money so they can get something they want and something they will use.

Stub also has his own special tradition. He gives each of his grandchildren a .22 hunting rifle on their first birthday. Each Christmas he will then get them a carton of .22 shells. In a recent year, he also handcrafted knives out of deer horns along with leather cases for all of his grandchildren.

Stub often hunted as a young boy, bagging his first rabbit at the age of 6 during Christmas vacation. He hopes his grandchildren will be as passionate as he is about hunting.

This year, the Swensons will celebrate Christmas in Boyceville at Trinity Lutheran Church, where they recently participated in the church’s “Spirit of Christmas” event this year. The event included a Christmas craft sale, baked goods, a tree and a nativity scene.

And as always, they will gather around Linda’s grandmothers’ antique dining room table to enjoy a wonderful homemade Christmas dinner with their children, grandchildren and extended family.

Stub and Linda wish everybody a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year!