Christmas past and where is baby Jesus?

As a child growing up in Forks in the late 1950s to early 1970s, I remember always wanting snow for Christmas and sometimes ..........

By Christi Baron • December 23, 2015 6:20 pm
Me and Mary Jane
Me and Mary Jane

As a child growing up in Forks in the late 1950s to early 1970s, I remember always wanting snow for Christmas and sometimes actually getting it. We would take our inner tubes and sleds to “the gully” located in a field near Bogachiel Way and have a blast.

As far as other activities related to the holidays, there was the “snowball drop” (fake snowballs with numbers dropped from a helicopter over Tillicum Park that could be redeemed for prizes) and Santa at the Variety Store. Each year hundreds of kids stood in line. I always had to ask for an extra candy cane because my sister did not like Santa.

The Olympic Pharmacy had a contest for kids. I don’t remember exactly how it worked, but I think when people shopped they got points and then you could donate the points to the child of your choice.

When I was about 4 years old I won something. I won a doll that was almost my size. Her name was Mary Jane and I loved that doll to death … no really I combed and styled her hair until it fell out and I change her outfits so many times her arms eventually fell off. We saved her for a while hoping she could be repaired and then one day she was gone.

I had Barbies but one Christmas what I really, really wanted was a Tressy doll, and when I was about 8 I got her. Tressy looked like Barbie only she had a device in her stomach and with a special tool you could wind her hair in and out. She could have short hair or she could have long hair.

Shortly after getting her, I think the tree was still up, I created the most amazing hair-do that any 8-year-old probably ever created on a Tressy doll. It was a keeper. I decided if I wanted it to stay I needed hairspray. I went to the bathroom, got my mother’s can of hairspray and gave Tressy’s do a squirt.

Some of the hairspray over sprayed on to Tressy’s beautiful face and before my eyes her face began to melt off. Her big eyes, her lovely lashes, her rosy cheeks and lips were all leaving her face. I ran for some tissue but it was too late the damage was done. A few days after the shock wore off I attempted to paint her face back on with my mother’s eyebrow pencil and some lipstick, but she just resembled something from a horror movie.

There was no chance of getting another one … so I styled her hair for a while and then one day she was gone … I don’t know where she went.

Growing up on Sol Duc Way, one of my favorite things to see was the Nativity Scene at the “Triangle” lot owned by the town. The tradition of placing the scene there was carried out by the Bogachiel Garden Club. I loved to look at it. The Three Wise Men, a few animals and of course baby Jesus all were made out of painted plywood. Every Christmas I looked forward to that. Then one year the Nativity scene was not put at the triangle. Someone did not like the fact the scene was on town property and it was gone. One day baby Jesus was gone … and no one seems to know where he went. Is the nativity scene somewhere in someone’s attic, basement or garage? Have you seen it?

I believe Mary Jane and Tressy ended up in the landfill near the Calawah River, and if you know the whereabouts of the Garden Club Nativity Scene and baby Jesus, please call the Forks Forum.

Finally, I decided to look up Tressy on eBay and found one for $99, they called it a vintage toy.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas past and where is baby Jesus?

As a child growing up in Forks in the late 1950s to early 1970s, I remember always wanting snow for Christmas and sometime actually getting it. We would take our inner tubes and sleds to “the gully” located in a field near Bogachiel Way and have a blast.

As far as other activities related to the holidays, there was the “snowball drop” (fake snowballs with numbers dropped from a helicopter over Tillicum Park that could be redeemed for prizes) and Santa at the Variety Store. Each year hundreds of kids stood in line. I always had to ask for an extra candy cane because my sister did not like Santa.

The Olympic Pharmacy had a contest for kids. I don’t remember exactly how it worked, but I think when people shopped they got points and then you could donate the points to the child of your choice.

When I was about 4 years old I won something. I won a doll that was almost my size. Her name was Mary Jane and I loved that doll to death … no really I combed and styled her hair until it fell out and I change her outfits so many times her arms eventually fell off. We saved her for a while hoping she could be repaired and then one day she was gone.

I had Barbies but one Christmas what I really, really wanted was a Tressy doll, and when I was about 8 I got her. Tressy looked like Barbie only she had a device in her stomach and with a special tool you could wind her hair in and out. She could have short hair or she could have long hair.

Shortly after getting her, I think the tree was still up, I created the most amazing hair-do that any 8-year-old probably ever created on a Tressy doll. It was a keeper. I decided if I wanted it to stay I needed hairspray. I went to the bathroom, got my mother’s can of hairspray and gave Tressy’s do a squirt.

Some of the hairspray over sprayed on to Tressy’s beautiful face and before my eyes her face began to melt off. Her big eyes, her lovely lashes, her rosy cheeks and lips were all leaving her face. I ran for some tissue but it was too late the damage was done. A few days after the shock wore off I attempted to paint her face back on with my mother’s eyebrow pencil and some lipstick, but she just resembled something from a horror movie.

There was no chance of getting another one … so I styled her hair for a while and then one day she was gone … I don’t know where she went.

Growing up on Sol Duc Way, one of my favorite things to see was the Nativity Scene at the “Triangle” lot owned by the town. The tradition of placing the scene there was carried out by the Bogachiel Garden Club. I loved to look at it. The Three Wise Men, a few animals and of course baby Jesus all were made out of painted plywood. Every Christmas I looked forward to that. Then one year the Nativity scene was not put at the triangle. Someone did not like the fact the scene was on town property and it was gone. One day baby Jesus was gone … and no one seems to know where he went. Is the nativity scene somewhere in someone’s attic, basement or garage? Have you seen it?

I believe Mary Jane and Tressy ended up in the landfill near the Calawah River, and if you know the whereabouts of the Garden Club Nativity Scene and baby Jesus, please call the Forks Forum.

Finally, I decided to look up Tressy on eBay and found one for $99, they called it a vintage toy.

Merry Christmas!