By Robin Ferruggia

The Surveyor

Christmas, more than any other holiday, brings back memories of loved ones, special foods, family traditions, giving, and caring for others, exuberant fun in the snow, exciting performances in the theater, and the simple warmth of watching carolers sing beloved old songs.

Several of the townspeople shared some of their favorite Christmas memories with the Berthoud Surveyor.

Larry Leach, owner of Main Street Car Care and Quick Lube, remembers the generosity of Berthoud, a little town with a big heart:

“For several years we were a collection point for Christmas. People donated a ton of stuff for stockings for the kids. There was just tons of stuff. It was amazing.”

Recently the town enjoyed a performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet for the first time in 12 years. It was an unforgettable experience for David Mineo, artistic director for the Berthoud Dance Company:

“The crowd just roared,” he said, in response to Turner Middle School students Nolan Simon, 13, as the Nutcracker and Brooke Nelsen, 11, as Clara, as the Nutcracker gracefully lifted Clara in a dramatic pas de deux (dance for two). “It was quite a thrilling dance for those two rascals. They were the hit of the show, big time. It was their first performance of The Nutcracker and of dancing together. I was very proud of their performance. I’m thrilled about it. I’m thrilled for them.”

Gena Feldman, the shopkeeper at Berthoud’s Indigo Sky Trading Company, remembers another memorable event. She grew up in Otis, a small town in northeastern Colorado. On Christmas Eve all the churches in town held a candlelight service. After the service the town’s volunteer firemen got on their two fire engines dressed as Santa Claus, and visited every house that had a light on. They gave people a bag of peanuts, an apple and an orange, and a bag of old-fashioned Christmas candies. “One year when they had several bags of candies left over,” she said, “they went to the one stop light in town, stopped cars, and gave everyone in the car a bag of candy.”

Christmastime can be a lot of fun, especially when there is a lot of snow. Realtor Bonnie Smith remembers a trip to Steamboat Springs:

“Three or four Christmases ago, my husband Lyle and I went to Steamboat Springs to go skiing. It was minus 18 degrees and we went skiing anyway. It was awesome. It was a great memory and we had a blast.”

For some, like Pete Tomassi, financial planner and a member of Berthoud Town Board of Trustees, favorite Christmas memories are of the soft and gentle variety:

“One of my fondest memories of Christmas in the small town of Katonah, N.Y., was caroling around the tree in the center of the park after the Christmas Eve church service.”

For others, Christmas family traditions spark favorite memories and how sometimes engaging in a family tradition can bring a family even closer together. Town librarian Christy Headrick remembers:

“One of our family traditions when I was growing up was to drive to our undeveloped private land near Empire, Colo., and cut our Christmas tree. One December we drove up with just my dad and two of my brothers. When we got to “the bottom,” where the paved road became a rough dirt road, all of us kids jumped into the back of the truck for the slow climb to our land.

Unfortunately for us, the mountains had already had a snow, melt-and-freeze cycle and therefore, the rocky road was also an icy road. The truck hit a patch of ice and began to slide off the road. Before disaster struck, my father got all of us out of the truck. My father assessed the situation and knew that, without the right equipment, the truck would fall. He took out all the food and water supplies he’d packed and left the three of us with the truck while he hiked down the road and into Empire.

The three of us spent the day making a small camp area with a fire and took turns looking for prospective Christmas trees in the area. The sun was waning when my father returned accompanied by a tow-truck driver to pull the truck out. The truck was back on the road and facing the downward slope with a fresh cut Christmas tree and a very tired family by the time evening fell.

That Christmas we were even more thankful for our family in the reflection of the disaster that was averted and the memory that was created.”

Sometimes Christmas brings back cherished memories of departed loved ones and rekindles the joy of their presence. Deanne Mulvihill, executive director of the Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce, shared her memories of her mother and a special family recipe:

Mulvilhill grew up in a town smaller than Berthoud, where they didn’t have to travel out of town to visit family for the holidays because her mother’s and father’s families lived in the same community. She looked forward to the holiday celebrations with all the relatives.

“I look forward to a fudge recipe my mother made,” she said. “Her maiden name was Meis, so we call it ‘Meis fudge.’ We still make it today. It was her favorite Christmas recipe because it has a lot of cream and butter in it.”

Her mother is gone now, but her family makes it every year, attentively watching it boil so it will be as perfect as it was when her mother made it.

“We especially make it for my father,” she said. “It brings the happy memories of her back to him.”

She shared their special recipe for Meis Fudge:

2 cups sugar

1 cup cream

6 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons cocoa

Stir. Bring to a soft boil.

Add:

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

¼ stick butter

Beat by hand until thick. Pour into a pan sprayed with “Pam.”

Enjoy.