When I was young my father and mother decided to drive to Lewiston to buy our Christmas gifts. There was five children in the family and they thought they could see my dad's parents and buy some gifts as well. The road to Lewiston at that time was quite different than today, lots of curves that a person could not see around, narrow, and the old cars, well, they weren't made the same. This is a sad tale, of Christmas past , so if you care not to read further, I can understand.

My father was driving, he rounded a corner, and then passed a car when the good angels were not watching. There was an on coming car, or truck, and my father's car collided with them, and my mother did not survive. My father was in the Orofino hospital for weeks. I wish I could remember more; the Orofino paper at that time did a full write-up but I was only six, and I did not quite understand. and what I remember is from others.

The blessed part of this message is that as best as I can remember that the five of us had no gifts, but we had a tree. Relatives can to take care of us, and as any small town would, the citizens took care of their own. Santa came Christmas eve to all of us. He was in full beard, fat, jolly, and loving and real to me and my brothers and sisters. They brought gifts, more gifts, and gifts. I am in my sixties now , but I remember it as if it were yesterday. I am sure that it was the Knights of Columbus, the Kwanis, or the Chamber of Commerce Members that helped us to continue the belief in miracles. Thank you Orofino.

Every year I relive this memory and I feel I am a very fortunate person to have lived in Orofino with the kind and caring people that lived there.

Suzie Servatius

(From our archives)

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