Flora Luper’s Christmases (Fayetteville Arkansas 1948-1952)

Flora Luper’s Christmases

Flora Cardwell Luper wrote in her diary. Every day. Religiously. Rain or shine. Working or choring around the house. Healthy or ill. She wrote; even on Christmas Day.

She celebrated many Christmases during the 82 years, 11 months and 15 days she spent on this earth. The only ones I know about were the ones from 1948 – 1952, the five years she wrote about in the diary that fell into my hands unexpectedly last summer.

Christmas Days for Flora, as is typical for most of us, were filled with family and friends. Christmas Eve’s, well, they mostly were. But sometimes, as her entry from 1951 shows, the day is filled with routine chores. “Al cleaned the barn out. I raked the yard.”

Here’s a little peek into Flora’s Christmas Days during this five year period.

For clarification, Al is Flora’s husband. Wade, Thord, Margie and Dot are their four children. Stug is their grandchild, Margie’s son. Some of the others are names often seen throughout her diary; many are fellow church members, some I haven’t discovered the relationships yet.

I spelled out Fayetteville, where in her diary Flora simply writes Fay. I kept the ‘to nite’ as she writes it.

As an interesting side note, their grandson, Stug (Stanley Wade Ludwig, born December 4, 1945) went on to be elected Springdale’s Municipal Court Judge – later renamed District Court Judge – where he served until his retirement in 2010.

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December 24, 1948: Burl, Alice, Beulah brought Pearl & Joe, and granddad up to nite. Alice has a diamond from Bill.

December 25, 1948: Wade and Gala, Larry, spent the day with us. Brought us big box candy. Real pretty. We went to Mildred about 3 to see Joe, Pearl, Rich, Leslie. Thord came then. Cold.

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December 24, 1949: Dot, Al & I went to Springdale. Then to Fayetteville. Cold. Wade, Gala, & Larry Maratha ate supper here. Then we went to the Xmas tree.

December 25, 1949: Al, Dot and I went to Rose Wilkerson’s home at 10. Came home. Went to the dam at 4. We went to Fayetteville. Caught ______ (undecipherable)

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December 24, 1950: Thord came for gun. To hunt. Dot & Wayne came in a 3 PM. Wade’s came for dinner. Ham, chocolate pie, frozen strawberries, candy, apples, etc.

December 25, 1950: Grandad, Harold, C.A., Thord’s, Dot and Wayne all ate with us today. Wade came after noon. Jeff Banks came by. Joys’s and Loy’s. Dot gone.

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December 24, 1951: Dark, cold, & gloomy this morn. Al cleaned the barn out. I raked the yard. Mildred & Carrie came.

December 25, 1951: Grandad ate Xmas dinner with Mildred. Ruth, Joan, Leslie & Frank came by. Dark. Gloomy. Misty.

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December 24, 1952: No one wants to bed. No one wants get up. Larry son cute. M. & Al gone to work. Larry, Gala, Stug & I are here.

December 25, 1952: Thord & family, Wade’s & Margie were all here for Xmas. Had good time but missed Dot, Wayne & Stevie (?) Nice day.

However you end up spending your Christmas this year, be it filled with family or friends, or in more solitary pursuits, may your day be filled with love and blessings.

Merry Christmas!

Do you know any of these people? Do you have any stories about ‘the good ole days’ that you’d like to share? Contact Trisha Faye at texastrishafaye@yahoo.com