TRADE DAY, Christmas

TRADE DAY

Trade Day was a tradition of many years. Early in the Christmas season, the merchants would hold an event to thank the community for its trade. There were free drawings, and Santa came, too. Here is a video with home movie footage shot by Floyd Vrtiska of a trade day in the 1950s. The snapshots to the right are lifted from the video

Trade Day gave way to a village Christmas party in about 2015.

ABOUT THE MOVIE OF TRADE DAY

Dad says he sees Bill Vondrasek in the bank window. Also Ed Beethe, the mortician. Do you know what year this video was made? [We don't.]

LORI VRTISKA SEIBL
December 2018

[About dating the movie]. I don't think there were any vehicles in the video later than the late 40's or early 50's. I remember those days well! Standing around hoping to hear your name called for a prize.

WAYNE KNIPPELMEYER
December 2018

I think it’s from early to mid 50s because I was a child then, and I remember this scenario. Waiting for Santa Claus to come in on the fire truck. Each child received a small brown sack of goodies that included an orange or apple , lots of peanuts in the shell, peppermint . Don’t think chocolates were ever included.
Gifts from merchants were given away by picking names out of a large tin. Love seeing the ladies in scarves and long coats . Happy memories

JOYCE WOPATA NEWTON
December 2018 .❄️❄️

MEMORIES

"This means so much to me to see this. I was a little girl and remember the excitment I felt while we waited for Santa to arrive. Just look at the ladies in their headscarves and how much more populated Table Rock was then. I was actually wondering if I would see one of my parents Minnie or Jesse Wopata. I remember the prizes being given away, too, and the movies. And like it used to say in the Argus, "A good time was had by all."

JOYCE WOPATA NEWTON, December 2014.

One of my favorite childhood days. We couldn’t wait for Santa to arrive in the fire truck. He would hand the kids Christmas stockings filled with peanuts, an orange, and some hard candy - plus a few chocolate stars and bon bons with marshmellowy filling. Our stockings kept us busy while the adults waited for their names to be called for fruit baskets, frozen steaks, and stamps from the post office. I don’t remember the live turkeys but I remember plenty of frozen ones been given as grand prizes!

LORI VRTISKA SEIBL. November 2019.

Then to the church for practice for the Christmas program.

GLENDA ALDERMAN BLECHA, November 2019.

And the theater for cartoons.

KIM VRTISKA.November 2019

Loved that time of year!

BOBBIE STILLINGER-KUNZE
November 2019

I remember winning a live one and my mom was horrified! Dad just laughed & I thought it was cool. Mom reminded me of that throughout the years.

JOY VRTISKA ROBISON, November 2019

As long as Elmer & Grace Wilcox lived they never went shopping. They always went “to do the tradin’ “ they moved to Lincoln from Table Rock in the early ‘20’s !

NORMA LU (TOBY) WILCOX
November 2019

Regarding "tradin"...My grandmother also. Whenever she went to "the store" she went to "do her tradin'," just like you said.

I was able as a sophmore in HS back in '52 to work in a grocery store. Lots of the "folks" did, indeed, bring in eggs "in trade" for their groceries. We had one special lady whose eggs were far far above the usual and were in high demand. We always had orders for more of "Mrs. Minter's eggs" than she brought in.

Them was "the days.,"

PETE HEDGPATH
November 2019

TR had a sleigh in town that year! Wow. Elk Creek always had Santa on a fire truck. After one program everyone went downtown to get their brown paper bag with an orange and some peanuts in it and here comes Santa on the fire truck! Yeah! Omg, my oldest brother Steve was on the truck with Santa, HUH???? Very confused they tried to make up excuses, but I knew.... that very night, that very moment ... I knew. Goodbye Santa

WAYNE KNIPPELMEYER
December 2018

Rain, Sleet or Snow, Santa always arrived at the old Legion Hall by fire truck! Rumor had it he parked his sleigh and reindeer up north in somebody's pasture and the firetruck always picked him up and brought him into the Burchard Christmas!

THERESA DUNEKACKE
December 2018

Photos by ed tomek of a trade day in the early FIFTIES:

comments on one of edward tomek's pictures immediately above

That's Eldon Petrashek with the camera. He's gone now. Wish we had some of those picures he was taking! Wish I had some of those scarves, too -- those things were warm and practical. C.I. Norris store in the background on the left, A&E Bar on the right. Look at all those tall windows.

I always said the Bohemian women knew those scarves were warm, maybe others wore them too, but I still have some and do wear them at times!

That may be me in the front with the curls.....I. won a duck and Dad had to kill it to eat .....haven't eaten duck since! Can't remember winning anything since, either!

1941

1949

Sharilyn & Ivan Vrtiska, shared by Sharilyn Vrtiska Knock

Here's a photo shared by Sharilyn Vrtiska Knock, with her and brother Ivan...and Santa...in 1949. I love her scarf. Those were so warm! We wore them all the time back in my day (1960s). I have a couple now but I don't wear them out in public much! But when it is cold enough, I don't care!

SHARLA SITZMAN CERRA
November 2019

I sure remember those days. ❤️❤️
We wore jeans under our dresses and always warm scarves.

JOYCE WOPATA NEWTON
November 2019

1964