Heart of the Home

Enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner in cramped quarters

For me, Thanksgiving 1969 is the holiday that has always been memorable.

Not only was I a newlywed, but I was also a long way from home. I was married to a soldier, and we were stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.

We were fortunate to find a small house to live in. One room was the living room and kitchen, one was a small bedroom, and there was a small bathroom with a door that didn't lock. The house leaned a bit, so when we sat at the kitchen table, we had to hold our plates or they would slide to the other side.

We had made several good friends, and many were single. My husband didn't want them to be alone in the barracks on Thanksgiving. He invited three friends to our house, which was not a problem, but the fact that he forgot to tell me was.

At the same time the three soldiers were planning on coming for dinner, my parents and sister were planning on surprising us by driving from Nebraska to Texas to join us. My brother-in-law in Kansas also decided to surprise us.

Our families arrived a few days before Thanksgiving, and by then I knew of the invitations my husband had made so I was able to go to the store and get all the trimmings for a traditional dinner. I was glad to have my dad there because he was always the chief cook for holiday dinners.

We have many memories of the three soldiers, Mom, Dad, my sister, his brother, my husband and I celebrating Thanksgiving in that tiny, slanted house.

We did a lot of improvising. My sister made an Occupied/Not Occupied sign for the bathroom door. We got out the ironing board to use for a makeshift table, and we managed dinner on the three-burner stove. Bedtime was another challenge. We had people on the bed, on the floors, on the couch, and even under the kitchen table.  

We were cramped, the house slanted and we had a challenge cooking, but we felt blessed. The togetherness was special, everyone made new friends, and we were able to give thanks that we could celebrate together.

Thanksgiving 1969 was definitely a memorable holiday, and we have the pictures to prove it.

Cozad, Neb.

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