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Area Residents Share Thanksgiving Memories

Thanksgiving means different things to different people.

For many, it is a favorite holiday because of time spent with friends over a good meal. The focus of Thanksgiving is giving thanks for all that we have — friends, family, material goods and other “blessings.”

This year, The Post-Journal reached out to area residents to share their favorite memories of Thanksgiving to spread a little encouragement for the holiday.

Sheri Lienhart, a resident of Jamestown, shared a favorite Thanksgiving memory of a family gathering.

“One year, my mom was experiencing some back problems and wasn’t able to sit up so she spent a couple of months laying on her couch,” Lienhart said. “Thanksgiving came and we didn’t know how to navigate the situation so my sisters and I took over the food. We were all adults at this point, but my mom had always made most of the food. The guys took the legs off the dining room table and built shorter legs so that the table was level with the couch. We pushed the new table up to where my mom was laying and we all sat on the floor around the table so she could eat with everyone. The following year, she was back to her normal self, so she took over the cooking duties again and the table was back to normal height.”

Kellie Hultin, a resident of Ashville, said her favorite Thanksgiving memory is a tradition with a family member.

“My favorite tradition is to get up early and get donuts, coffee, and two newspapers and watch the parade with my Aunt Karen,” Hultin said. “Every year for over 10 years now we have done this — usually while I’m begging for help with my last-minute dish to pass. We really enjoy our morning together and making a plan for our Black Friday shopping.”

Susan Southwell Justham, a Jamestown resident, said she always enjoyed making dinner with her mother for Thanksgiving.

“My best Thanksgiving memories are preparing dinner with my mom,” Justham said. “It would be just my mom and I as we prepared the homemade stuffing, pumpkin pies side dishes and stuffing the turkey. We would be so tired we would get silly as we made fun of ‘Tom Turkey.’ My mom has been gone for 13 years now, but I still enjoy preparing dinner just like she did and remembering her.”

Southwestern School Superintendent Maureen Donahue said she has always enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with her family. She said her favorite Thanksgiving foods are turkey, apple pie and cream puffs.

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