Shirley Rasmussen: Christmas was not Christmas without lutefisk and lefse

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX — When Shirley Rasmussen was growing up, Christmas would not have been Christmas without the main course: lutefisk and lefse. 

Shirley is a resident at Ridge Crest Manor, the Community Based Residential Facility at the Colfax Health and Rehabilitation Center.

On the day the Colfax Messenger came to talk to residents about their Christmas memories, Shirley and her daughter, Ruth, were getting Christmas cards ready to send out. 

In addition to the lutefisk and lefse, Christmas Eve always featured raspberry sauce, too, Shirley said.

Christmases were special events at the house in the country where Shirley and her brother grew up.

Shirley, whose maiden name was Vennes, only had one brother. 

She grew up north of Wheeler in a lovely house that is now known as the Hay River House Bed & Breakfast on county Highway FF, near The Grain Bin.

“Everybody knows the house now,” Shirley said.

According to the Hay River House website, the Sunburst Room is the most spacious bedroom in the house and is named after the three sunbursts that adorn the gable ends of the house. Other rooms include the Barn-View Room, the Ivory Coast Room, and the Niger Room.

Shirley remembers that all of the major holidays, Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, were something special when she was a little girl.

“We have pictures (of my mother) setting the dining room table,” she said. 

As far as her mother was concerned, everything had to be “just so” around the table, Shirley said.

Shirley’s brother was a physician and came to spend Christmas with Shirley and her family after Shirley had children of her own.

Shirley’s dad always had the responsibility of going out to cut a Christmas tree. 

“She has always told us stories about walking through mounds and mounds of snow to get to school,”  Ruth said.

Shirley also most definitely remembers Christmas programs at church and at school. She went to school and to church in Wheeler. 

Shirley played the piano at church for many, many years — up until the time she came to live at the Colfax Health and Rehabilitation Center. 

All together, Shirley raised six children — and the last two were twins. 

“The minister came the other day, and he said they are having a hard time keeping the church open. I told him to keep it open for me,” Shirley said with a smile.

Shirley went to school at Big Beaver and then went to high school at the Dunn County Agricultural School in Menomonie.

“I know one fun thing with all of us six kids,” said Shirley’s daughter.

“She would put the Christmas tree inside the playpen, and all of us kids got to stay outside of the playpen,” she said. 

“I had six kids, and I had to keep the tree safe,” Shirley said. 

“We were not allowed in the playpen with the Christmas tree,” Ruth said, adding with a smile, “There were all of those ornaments that could be rearranged, or that could break.”