Christmas 1966 - Christmas with the Cousins

My cousin Deb, in the middle, is holding me. Diane is on the left and Danny is on the right. Photos taken at Grandma and Grandpa's apartment above their bakery in Two Harbors.

Christmas 1968 - Color Wheel

The following is from Wikipedia:

"An aluminum Christmas tree is a type of artificial Christmas tree that was popular in the United States from 1958 until about the mid-1960s. As its name suggests, the tree is made of aluminum, featuring foil needles and illumination from below via a rotating color wheel."

"Aluminum Christmas trees were first manufactured sometime around 1955, remained popular into the 1960s, and were manufactured into the 1970s."

"During the 1960s, the aluminum Christmas tree enjoyed its most popular period of usage. As the mid-1960s passed, the aluminum Christmas tree began to fall out of favor, with many thrown away or relegated to basements and attics. The airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 has been credited with ending the era of the aluminum tree, and by 1967 their time had almost completely passed."

"The aluminum Christmas tree was used as a symbol of the over-commercialization of Christmas in the 1965 Peanuts holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. The program is considered a classic amongst Christmas specials, and its mention of the aluminum tree solidified the tree's legendary status while satirizing it as well. Peanuts character 'Lucy' implored Charlie Brown to get a 'big, shiny aluminum tree...maybe painted pink.' Charlie lamented the commercialization of the true meaning of Christmas, ignored his friends' request, and purchased a small, scrawny natural tree instead."

In the bottom photo I'm standing in front and my cousins Debby, Diane and Danny are standing behind me. Behind all of us is an aluminum tree. The color wheel is at the bottom right.

Christmas 1968 - Christmas at Grandpa Louie and Grandma Alice's

Top photo: I got my own phonograph as a present.

Middle photo: With cousins Diane and Danny.

Bottom photo: With cousins Debby, Diane and Danny. Note the aluminum tree behind us and the color wheel at the bottom right.

Christmas 1969 - Opening Presents at Grandma Alice and Grandpa Lou's House Part 2

Top photo: Mom watches the kids opening presents.

Middle photo: Cousin Diane opens Tina Katrina. Next to her is her new Mrs. Beasley doll.

Bottom photo: Grandpa Louie, at left, oversees the festivities and cousin Debby, to the right, opens a present. I'm in the bottom right corner of the photo.

Christmas 1971 - Joe with the Cousins

Joe with Aunt Alice Mae, Uncle Jack and cousins Debbie, Diane and Danny at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Two Harbors.

Christmas 1988 - Opening Presents

Left to Right: My cousin Deb barely makes it in the picture. Next to Deb is her husband Larry. Uncle Dale is on the chair with the door behind him and Aunt Alice Mae is in front of him openening a present. Grandpa Louie is in his easy chair and opening a present as well.