By Bob Deakin
What’s your favorite Christmas memory? A snowy Christmas morning? The year your water heater burst, or the one spent in the emergency room. Do you remember Christmas on Jefferson Avenue in Danbury, Connecticut?
Maybe the Linabury and Schmeidel kids invited you to skate at Tarrywile Lake. Yes, somehow, merely a few decades ago, sometimes the lake was frozen enough to skate on by Christmas. David Linabury would be out on the ice whether it was or was not. That was my determining safety factor.
Christmas Through the Years
We came to Jefferson Avenue in different decades. Those of us on Facebook are small branches of broader family trees, decendants of the ones who found Jefferson Ave. and bought the homes we lived in. Many of them stayed their entire lives. Most of us a mere fraction.
I can only imagine what Christmas was like on Jefferson in the early half of the 20th Century. My guess is that in good times it was simpler, centered around the neighborhood, and steeped in tradition like the songs of the era.
On that note, I bring us to our generations and the music of our times.
What Christmas Songs Did It for You
I reached a dozen in the You know you lived / live on Jefferson Ave, if..., page created by Monica Linabury. I was curious about what songs hit a special note. The answers were all over the place and not surprisingly, many from the 50s and 60s.
I’ll start the playlist by naming my own. First is “Oh Holy Night” by Nat King Cole. I began listening to the Christmas Song album in my early teens and once I started driving, indelible images were created listening to it and driving up and down the street looking at Christmas lights.
It was my neighborhood and it became my Christmas song. My other favorite was “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” by The Beach Boys. They were a favorite in the Deakin home and I chose that one around the time Richie Schmiedel began building ski slopes in his back yard.
Heading North on Jefferson
Continueing on the Schmiedel theme.
“My favorite is ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ by Darlene Love,” says Richie Schmiedel. “Another I like a lot is ‘White Christmas‘ by Dean Martin. I hope you are well. Happy Holidays.”
How can I argue with those selections? Richie’s taste in music has always been subtle. I remember a ski trip to Killington that he led in the 80s and he turned us onto some odd album tracks from Kansas and other 70s bands, particularly live cuts. I still listen to this day. Thanks Richie!
Cousin Paul Schmiedel offered a choice of his own. "Hey Bob. Hope you are well. My favorite song is 'Silent Night.' Reminds me of all the people we have lost and the great memories of our street.”
Paul’s older brother Jay Schmiedel chimed in while traveling.
“Mariah Carey ‘s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You.’ Small world. I am sitting in the Hollywood FL airport as I text this. Enjoy the Holidays. I look forward to the story!"
Thanks Jay. There are worse places to be stuck. You and your family are big in the Deakin’s memories of Christmas. Best to you and yours.
The Girls Up the Street?
I started with Sue Kaminski.
“Tough one. ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ by Bing Crosby is a favorite but also Roger Whitaker's ‘Momma Mary’ is a sentimental favorite as his Christmas album was a favorite of my Dad’s. Both of their albums actually in their entirety are tradition as well as Andy Williams’."
I asked her how her father Frank, who we lost in October, came upon the Roger Whitaker song.
“Honestly not sure, the whole album is good and it's played every year. Really good memories. So, not very helpful as far as picking one, sorry about that.”
Nothing to be sorry about Sue. You offered three. Who could ask for anything more?
Her sister, Diane Kaminski Knapp, offers a more contemporary selection.
“Hi Bob. Wow, this is actually hard. I love Christmas music. I know this is kind of an odd one but I pick ‘Please Come Home for Christmas.’ After listening to a number of artists I’ll go with the Eagles.”
I remember my father also liked that one. Both Kaminski women enter this Christmas with heavy hearts, and we wish them the best. Best to you, Lisa and your mother and thank you for taking the time.
Let’s Keep Walking
John Coutinho, now in Florida, had no problem choosing. “'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reign Deer.' Not sure of the artist (Elmo & Patsy). Makes me smile when I hear it.”
Why doesn’t the selection surprise me? If you know John, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. I got together with him for coffee a couple of weeks ago and he looks and speaks the same. He approached our meeting place with a loud clap, as was his ritual back in the day.
It's heartwarming to know, especially in December, that some things never change.
What is Billy Katzing's favorite Christmas song?
“I am probably going to shock you all but ‘Sleigh Ride,’ performed the year I was born by Johnny Mathis and Percy Faith. Now the song was written by Leroy Anderson, who lived in an apartment upstairs from my grandmother in Waterbury, while his estate was being renovated in Woodbury. But that original version of the song is still one of my favorites. He wrote the song in 1948 in Woodbury, Connecticut.”
Incredible. I looked up Leroy Anderson and what a story. Thanks Bill.
You never know what you're going to get if you don't ask.
How About My Own House?
“Jefferson Ave. is totally ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’ by Burl Ives,” said my brother Mick Deakin of the song from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special. “We watched it every year. My other favorite is ‘Little Saint Nick' by the Beach Boys.”
I did mention the Beach Boys in the Deakin home.
Brother Matt Deakin, who always has and continues to go out of his way to make the most of Christmas, chose his favorite while expressing the hope many kids have on Christmas morning.
“My favorite was Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas.’ Probably the first Christmas song I ever knew, and I always hoped for snow on Christmas.”
“That’s a tough one,” says Karen Deakin Youngstrom. “There are so many! I really like ‘Silent Night’ by Dean Martin.
My sister Chris Deakin Cook goes with a classic and brings up a former staple at Christmas on Jefferson.
“My favorite Holiday movie is White Christmas and I always loved Bing Crosbys Christmas specials,” Chris said. “My favorite memories are of the firehouse Christmas party even though you didn’t ask, but that is a special Jefferson Ave. memory.”
Citizens Hose Engine 6
I cannot finish the story without mentioning the anual firehouse Christmas party, which went on until the late 70s. It was for the kids as far back as memory goes. The members would pull the truck out front, put folding chairs in the bay, invite the kids in and serve treats.
One of the members hosted the event, which included a magician, sometimes a movie, and other Christmas fun. At the end, of course, Santa arrived and handed out presents.
If you were a little one it was the greatest thing in the world. The guys put a lot of work into it and the place was filled. It was like Christmas before Christmas.
Merry Christmas To All, And To All a Good Night!
Thank you all for your input. I received responses from about half of those I reached out to, and I apologize that I’m not in touch with most of you, so please feel free to comment
It is a nice excuse to record memories, but even more fun to connect with old friends. I hope the songs still sound as good as when we were kids.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and best to you all in the New Year!
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