Harry and Clara Sennott and their family lived in the Ziebold family home at 306 South Moore Street in Waterloo, Illinois. Minnie Hoffmeister Ziebold lived with the family.
Clara knew her way around the kitchen and at Christmas she baked dozens and dozens of cookies. We all remember her sugar cookies, hershey kisses, angel whispers, hello dolly's, ranger cookies, chocolate chips, butterscotch treats and many more tempting delicacies.
Christmas traditions included dinner on Christmas Eve that included oyster stew and pickled herring. Since Honey's birthday was on December 25th, the family celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. There were often visiting students who went to medical school at St. Louis University with Jack or to University of Missouri where Honey studied Journalism.
After dinner and presents were exchanged, Clara's brothers, George and Max, and their families came to visit. The next morning began with mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church for Clara and the children.
Clara's sisters Eveline and Loretta, and their families visited from St. Louis.
Clara made sure that Honey's birthday was special and didn't get lost in the Christmas celebration.
The afternoon held a visit to the Sennott family home at the corner of 4th and Library in Waterloo where Harry's mother, Elenora Brey Sennott, and his sisters, Ethel and Adele lived.
There was one very special Christmas Eve when Harry was in the service. Here is the story in Harry's own words:
Christmas 1943
It’s 1943, Christmas Eve morning, and there’s GI Harry standing with arched thumb out on old Highway 66, a five-day pass in his pocket from Camp Crowder in Neosho, MO.
An hour later a woman with a 10-year old son snoozing in the car stops, looks him over and asks where he’s headed. Hoping to get to St. Louis, he says, “and then another 25 miles down the Illinois side of the Mississippi to Waterloo.” She tells him to hop in, and as he does, she pulls a gun on him.
Well, in truth, she merely shows him the revolver, but warns, “No funny business, soldier boy.” Harry smilingly informs her that he most positively plans to behave himself.
Somewhere in the boondocks before reaching St. Louis they stop and she buys lunch for Harry. The woman then lets him out on the far west end of the city. After falling all over himself with thanks, he starts hiking to an old pal’s house.
Christmas Eve is marching toward mid-afternoon by now. Although the old friend and his brother are off serving with the Seabees, their mother welcomes Harry, feeds him hot soup and lends him $5 so he can go downtown and buy a bus ticket home.
Exhausted, he settles into a seat on the 5 pm to Waterloo. But as his eyes close, the man next to him shakes his arm, “Hey soldier, don’t you even remember what your brother looks like?”
It’s Jack, who was in his internship at a hospital in St. Louis. Harry is speechless. Both are overjoyed, and they hatch plans to surprise the family, since no one knows Harry is coming.
Home, they manage to slip in undetected. Jack hides Harry behind the big Christmas Tree in the living room.
Harry is no longer exhausted, but the suspense is killing him. After greeting Jack, the family moseys in, Clara and Harry, Grandma Ziebold, Mina, Honey and Jane, who immediately begin searching for presents under the tree.
Jack asks Clara, “Mama, what would you like most for Christmas?” “Oh, if only Harry could be here!” she answered.
So he tells her to close her eyes till he counts to three, “One…two…three!” And out steps Harry from behind the most beautiful Christmas tree the family ever laid eyes on.
Oh, the tears did flow that holy night.
Merry Christmas!
