by Ruth Leubecker

“We always had our own tree, and we were allowed to open one package on Christmas Eve,” recalls Linnie Crane, now 97, of her childhood. 

Many years before Black Friday shopping and Amazon madness, there was a deep appreciation for the simple gift of skating on the pond or venturing into the woods to find the perfect tree.

In Crane’s case, dad Dan Griffin cut down the tree, and siblings Daniel and Pauline were part of the seasonal fun.