Hulda and Clifford Nickels celebrating 98th Christmases

Hulda and Clifford Nickels, who are celebrating their 98th Christmases this year, reached back into their memories to recall Christmases of many years ago.

They were both born in 1910, and met and married much later in their lives. They lived south on Ill. Route 185 for years, until moving to Fayette County Hospital Long Term Care several years ago. They seem very content in their room, which is furnished with comfortable furniture and personalized with their own belongings and family pictures.

Hulda talks with a marked, charming accent. “I was born and raised in Northern Minnesota, seven miles from the Canadian line,” Hulda said.

“I’m used to when it’s cold, so when it snowed (Sunday) it looked good to me.

“There were 10 of us (children). I’m the only one living,” she said.

Hulda’s Christmas Past Memories

Hulda remembers riding in sleighs pulled by horses.

“I remember going to a neighbor’s house, and I was so young, my parents were sitting on the seat and I sat down by their feet.

Hulda shared one of her family’s Christmas traditions.

“I remember something I always got to eat at Christmas, and I don’t get it now – it was lutefisk," Hulda said. “It was like strips of frozen fish. They cooked it for Christmas inside a net thing to hold it together. We would lower it into the water to cook it, and we would put butter over it.”

“I can remember one thing that still has always stayed with me,” she said. “We were supposed to all sit quiet in a room.

“We closed the door (between) the living room and kitchen, and Santa Claus would not come unless we kept everything quiet.

“When everything went dark in the kitchen, Santa would open the door and put this great big bag of toys and stuff beside the door, then leave. We would open the door, and there was this great, big bag with all kinds of stuff for Christmas,” Hulda said.

“I got dolls and all kinds of stuff we thought was from Santa Claus. That was some Christmas.

“We had Christmas trees later. We had Christmas trees (growing) all around us, so all we did was just go out and chop one,” she said.

Clifford’s Christmas Memories

Clifford, also one of 10 children, said, “I was born and raised southwest of St, James, out near Doc Owens’.”

He was a young man during the Great Depression. “I was in my 20s. I was married when I was 19, he said. “I remember we didn’t have too much.”

Better times were when he was a young boy. “We looked forward to Santa Claus,” he said.

“I remember, we hung our stocking behind the heating stove. We had Christmas trees in the pasture about 3 feet high and we would cut them. Mother usually decorated them with popcorn and whatever else she could find. We usually got an orange and candy and peanuts.

“I remember when my sister Cora got a rubber doll that squealed when you squeezed it. My brother was kind of anxious to see if Santa Claus really came.

“Early in the morning, he went in to feel the stockings, and he happened to hit Cora’s and that doll squealed out. He couldn’t get back in bed quick enough.”

“Mom would fix chicken and dressing and pumpkin pie for Christmas dinner. We had a sled and slid down the hill. The sled had two boards for runners and a top on it and a place to pull it with a rope.”

Clifford’s Bonus Memories

“I used to walk with my grandma (Mary Nickels) to the old Loogootee store to do her trading. Loogootee was called Slabtown then.

“She would carry a basket to get what she had to get, what we couldn’t raise on the farm,” Clifford said.

He remembered his grandma telling him about a tribe of Indians that lived just west of her house then.

“I remember the stagecoach route through Slabtown. I remember seeing the stagecoach going down the hill one time. That route went to Vincennes, Ind.”

He also remembers the stagecoach route that went to Shelbyville, and that the stagecoach would stop at the brick house on U.S. Route 40 that was an inn at that time.

“My dad was a McNess products salesman. I’d go on his route with him and I’d stay in the wagon and hold the horses for him,” he said.

Clifford & Hulda’s Christmas Present

Two small Christmas tree replicas are sitting in their window. However, Hulda pointed out a large, real Christmas tree outside their window, on the hospital grounds. “If it was just decorated and with lights,” she mused. “A lot of birds come to that tree, and I enjoy watching them.”

They enjoy company. They have no plans for Christmas Day, but are just happy and thankful to be together…the best gift of all.