Christmas 1958

That's Grandma Zimmerman's handwriting on the back of the photo.  I don't know if it is Christmas Day or Christmas Eve.  Everyone must be gathered at my parents' house at 831 Cambridge Avenue in Youngstown.  The Christmas stockings hanging above the sofa are my clue - stockings for each of my sisters, Susan and Sandra.  

I remember the mirror the stockings are hanging on; I think it hung above my brown dresser growing up.  Each Campbell girl had a longer, knit stocking used for stocking gifts.  The stockings pictured here were smaller and less functional.  I always wondered why Sue and Sandi had these matching stockings; I didn't have one.  I arrived in 1970, that's why!  Someone did buy me a small stocking to accompany these two for display purposes, but I always liked their stockings better.

The lamp in the corner came from the Campbell grandparents; it was displayed on the kidney desk in our living room when I was growing up.  

Current real estate websites show the square footage for this house at 736 square feet, so with seven adults (the five shown here, plus the Zimmerman grandparents) and three kids (Susan, Sandi, and cousin Greg), it must have been a cozy Christmas.

Sandi pointed out that Uncle Larry appears to be wearing his U.S. Army dress uniform, which would be appropriate since such attire was worn for formal occasions and everyone else is pretty dressed up for the holiday.

From left:  John, Mary Jane, Larry, Jane, Willy. 

The Campbell family:  John with his customary pipe (hugging Sandi), Mary Jane looking at Susan, and Susan enjoying her muff (I remember her saying she loved it).  The photo was developed in February 1959. 

I see the Christmas tree reflected in the mirror.  I think the angel I remember from my childhood is atop the tree.  She had a royal blue background.

The Zimmerman grandparents, Esther and Doyle, with their three grandchildren as of Christmas 1958.  Sandi is on Esther's lap (she must have received a muff too, but hers is standing on its end), Greg is in the middle (we think he's holding a small music set with drum and cymbals), and Susan is to Doyle's left, with her much-loved muff.

I think the manger scene is on the drum table in the corner, behind the lamp.  

The snowflake hanging in the center of the mirror is familiar to me.  It was paper, with some sort of gold or silver finish.  We never displayed it much when I was a kid; by the 1970s, it had seen better days.  I do remember it being stored in the long silver Christmas box, always on top.  

I also had a muff as a kid, probably about the age Susan is in this photo.  I don't remember if mine was a gift or if it came as part of a set, with a coat.  I also remember thinking it was so unique.   

Christmas Day  was Thursday, December 25, 1958

Sandra Campbell, age 3.5

Greg Zimmerman, age 5

Susan Campbell, age 6.5

Jane Zimmerman, age 28

Willard Zimmerman, age 26

Larry Zimmerman, almost 30 (birthday December 27)

Mary Jane Campbell, age 31

John B. Campbell, age 32

Doyle Zimmerman, age 59

Esther Zimmerman, age 63

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