Feet first, one month early, columnist arrived Thanksgiving weekend, 1939
Eighty-four years ago this weekend I came into the world feet first and one month early.
I was born during a blizzard at approximately 2:30 a.m. the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25, 1939, at the old St. Mary’s Hospital in Green Bay. I was due on Christmas Day. My mother thought she had just eaten too much turkey, but it was me! So I spent the first part of my life in the new incubator at the hospital.
So, Thanksgiving weekend and the year 1939 remain special in my life.
What was happening in 1939? Well, the hot new toy was View-Master, and I have an original View-Master in my collection of “stuff.”
Mom and I loved to sing the hit songs of the day. Among the top songs in 1939 were the “Beer Barrel Polka” (sing it, Packers fans), “Over the Rainbow,” “Jeepers Creepers,” “And the Angels Sing,” “Scatter-Brain,” “South of the Border,” and “Stairway to the Stars.”
Mom and I would read together and she made sure that I was always surrounded by books. The top books in 1939 were “Finnegans Wake” by James Joyce, “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck, “The Day of the Locust” by Nathanael West, “Thimble Summer” by Elizabeth Enright, and “Studies in Iconology” by Erwin Panofsky.
Because my mother died when I was only 9 years old, I never got to ask her why she named me Judith Ann Russell. In later years I figured she was a Judy Garland fan and loved “The Wizard of Oz” and the song “Over the Rainbow,” so I became Judith Ann. There were many girls named Judith Ann in my elementary and high school classes. Out of love for my mother, I took her name, Theresa, as my Confirmation name.
The Best Picture of the Year in 1939 was “Gone With the Wind,” a movie I first attended with my maternal grandmother, Lillian McHugh, when I was in grade school. Vivien Leigh received the Best Actress award for that film.
Postage stamps were 3 cents and gasoline was 19 cents a gallon the year I was born. The minimum wage was 30 cents per hour, the average annual income was $1,837, a new car cost $750, and a new house cost $6,416.
But, perhaps the greatest thing of all that occurred in my life in 1939 was my beloved Green Bay Packers winning the World Championship, thus establishing a lifelong bond between me and the Green and Gold.
Here's a list of upcoming church and religious events in the Oshkosh area:
The liturgical season of Advent begins Dec. 3. As part of that, St. Jude Parish of Oshkosh is offering a free Advent Bible Study on “The ‘O’ Antiphons.” That study begins Monday and runs through Dec. 18. It will be held 8:30 to 10 a.m. Mondays in Leannah Hall at the Sacred Heart site, 519 Knapp St. All you have to do is bring your bible. The season of Advent has long been associated with the “O” Antiphons, ancient prayers that are said or sung during the final week of Advent. Each of these prayers addresses Jesus by one of seven Old Testament titles. To register for this series, or for more information, contact Rob Saley at 920-235-7412 or rsaley@stjudeoshkosh.org.
Two Peace Light of Bethlehem events, open to the public, will take place in December at the Jesuit Retreat House, 4800 Fahrnwald Road, Oshkosh.They are an Ecumenical Prayer Service, open to all faith traditions, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in St. Ignatius Chapel, and a Mass of Peace, from 5 to 6 p.m. Dec. 6 in the chapel.Deacon John Ingala of the retreat house staff emailed to explain that “The Peace Light is a continuous flame originating in the grotto of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. It is symbolic of the Light of Christ, as it promotes peace, harmony, and unity among all people of the world from every race, ethnicity, and creed.” These two events are part of the prayer options the retreat house is offering during its month-long Advent Peace Light Initiative, which will last from Dec. 3 to Jan. 7. For more information on the Peace Light Initiative, visit peacelightnorthamerica.org.
The Giving Trees are up again in the back of church at the Sacred Heart and St. Vincent worship sites of St. Jude Parish in Oshkosh. Christmas gifts this year will go to residents at Bella Vista, to the Winnebago Care Shelter, and to Father Carr’s for its Children’s Christmas. Unwrapped gifts, with the tag attached, must be returned to the parish office, 1025 W. Fifth Ave., by Dec. 13.
You might be starting to get 2024 calendars from various organizations. If you have extra calendars, consider donating them to the Oshkosh Correctional Institution for the inmates. St. Andrew’s Ev. Lutheran Church, 1100 E. Murdock Ave., Oshkosh, is collecting the 2024 calendars until the end of December. Bring them to the church office, but phone first to make sure the office is open, 920-235-6616, or email office@standrewsoshkosh.org.
The Blessing Box at First Presbyterian Church in Oshkosh is in need of donations of toilet paper, canned soups, and canned vegetables. Donations may be dropped off at the church between 8 and 11:30 a.m. Thursdays or before and after the 9:30 a.m. Sunday worship service. The church is at 110 Church Ave. For more information, call 920-235-6180.
Gerard Hall, Divine Worship Director for the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, will be in Oshkosh on Dec. 7 for a presentation on “A Deeper Dive Into Mass.” The presentation, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., will be at the St. Peter worship site of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, 435 High Ave. A spokesperson for the diocese said the presentation will be “on truly understanding what happens at Mass and how we can all participate more fully.”
The focus in November for the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry is for donations of holiday-type foods. Some of the requested items are broth, cans or jars of gravy, cornbread mix, boxed scalloped or au gratin potatoes, canned cream soups, stuffing mix, instant mashed potatoes, French fried onions, yams, canned green beans, creamed corn, dinner rolls, and grocery store gift cards.
The annual Giving Tree project is underway at St. Raphael Parish in Oshkosh. This season they are raising money to purchase “tech backpacks” for their sister parish, Holy Cross in Jackson, Kentucky, to give to students in need. The schools there are asking for quality tech backpacks for the children to transport the school chrome books between home and school. Currently, many of the children’s backpacks are poorly made and have been ripping. Giving Tree donations also will be used to buy muck-type boots to keep the children’s feet dry. The Giving Tree campaign at St. Raphael’s continues through Dec. 3.
A Community Blood Center Drive, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday at St. Raphael Church, 830 S. Westhaven Drive, Oshkosh. To schedule your donation, or for more information, call the Blood Center at 920-738-3131.
Thought for the Day: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. — Mahatma Gandhi.
Judy Russell of Oshkosh writes about happenings at area centers of worship. To submit news for her consideration, email oshkoshsubmit@thenorthwestern.com with the subject “Church news.” Deadline is 5 p.m. Mondays.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Oshkosh columnist Judy Russell shares unique beginning in 1939
