This is the story of a program I saved since I was 10 years old for the Lurton Christmas Program...It is faded but we can still read the message and names. The only thing missing from the original was the year...(I think it is 1938 but this may have been 1939)

The 1938 Christmas at the Lurton One Room Schoolhouse was the most exciting highlight of our year...

The large (we thought) one room white school had windows all around two sides, double doors on one side and the end with a center curtain to separate the first three grades from the upper three grades. A stage was built up about a foot higher in front with a curtain to pull for our 'programs'.. Ertle Criner (Paxton) taught first, second and third grades, and Ace Gilmore taught the fourth, fifth and sixth...we went to Deer for the seventh.

I was in sixth grade that year, and my sister Phyllis was in third. The Christmas program of 1938 was on a cold blustery winter night and we had a fire going in the big potbelly stove at the side of the room. Our school desks seated two with a desk and chair for the one in front to sit on, and an inkwell and pencil slot on top. (and a few carved initials in hearts, from other years gone by).

For the program, the parents sat in the seats and on top of the seats so they could see and cheer on the performers. Especially when they did well or for the ones who temporarily forgot their speech. The children sat in the front of the stage on the floor waiting for their turn on the program, because every one of us did something on the program, even if it was with the group. The parents sat out there and clapped and beamed and cheered us on.

In one corner of the room stood a giant cedar tree, decorated with school made garlands of red berries and popcorn, tinsel cut from colored papers and a big paper star on top with a roll of white cotton underneath to cover the stand... Big brown paper bags of goodies were placed all around the tree so our eyes couldn't stay away from them long enough to see the 'program' we must watch first.

Around November we always had a 'pie supper' to raise enough money for the Christmas bags of goodies. Mr. I. C. Sutton always added something extra special to each one in case the pie supper funds were not enough. The boys always got marbles or a yo-yo and the girls got jacks.

By some miracle, our mother, Iva Haynes saved an original copy of the program that was handed out to the parents when they came in the door that night and I still have it here in my hand, faded, but can still read the mimeographed copy...

By another miracle, I found this program one more time in 1993. ( and again in 2000)

Mrs. Cornelia Sutton worked with us in our 'drama' at the Lurton school and she helped us with this program in 1938. She had the program typed on white typing paper and cut out in the shape of a large bell, decorated on the outside of the bell with blue crayon lines by the children.

The following performers are listed as they are on this 1938 Lurton Christmas Program...

A Christmas Story:  
       "The Shining Spirit"    by Colleen Haynes
Girl's Speech:   
       "Spelling Christmas"    by Oma Aubrey 
Boy's Speech:
       "A Brave Speech"        by Pat Junior Merriman
Girl's Speech:
      "Christmas in our Heart" by Wanda Sue Campbell
Four Boys: 
      "Christmas Birthday Candles"
Boy's Speech:  
      "Boo Hoo"                by Bobby Lynn Sutton
Song: All
     "Have you any Room for Jesus"
    
The Christmas Story: (Read from the Bible)
     
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David, 
a Savior which is Christ the Lord."

After the program was finished, we had what we called 'The Christmas Tree', where we all got in line, from the smallest to the largest. I was pretty big in the sixth grade.

Santa was all dressed up in his red coat and cap and handed out a big brown paper bag to each one. We had chocolate drop candies, red and white peppermint sticks, Double Bouble gum and all other kinds of good things to eat including an orange and an apple.

Each day at recess, the girls played the game of jacks, (eggs in the basket, babies, etc) and the boys marbles, roly poly, keeps, etc...(gambling didn't just now become a problem...Our recess games were powerful)...Tomorrow the marble trading will begin.

One reason I remember this Christmas so well was...the next morning after the program I woke up crying... covered with red welts and running a high fever. Mother and Dad called Dr. Sexton at Dover, he came out to see me and said I had the 'bad' German Measles. A lot of the Lurton School had the same thing that day!! My little sister Phyllis had them, too and it was weeks before we could go back to school. I told the other kids they better not bother my Christmas bag of goodies 'till I got well again!

Submitted by Colleen Haynes Rongey. Thank You Colleen...I can just see that cedar tree decked out with garlands of popcorn, forming an umbrella over the bags of gifts. And speaking of unbrellas...the picture of your mother and her parasol is a classic!