This holiday season my mind turns to the children who were at the “Children’s Home” in Lamoni, Iowa for Christmas 1912. As reported in a church publication, 37 children were in attendance. Who were these children? Where were their parents?
My wish for Christmas is to know more about the children in this story.
Christmas at the Children’s Home (February 1912 Autumn Leaves. The Department of the Woman’s Auxiliary of the rLDS Church, editor Callie B. Stebbins)
“At the home, thirty-seven happy children climbed the stairs with their arms full of presents at the close of a delightful evening, during which they contributed their share of effort for the enjoyment of others in a program for which they had been drilled by Miss Robinson. Sr. Helen is the big sister all this family, and while she is greatly beloved by them, they are very obedient to hear her and her careful training resulted in a well-prepared songs and exercises in which the children, from the largest to the least, faithfully performed their parts. One exception there was, a little newcomer, who was a great care to a smaller child next to her, for she had to be repeatedly turned around from gazing at the Christmas tree.
Christmas Eve coming on Sunday the wide doorway between the living room and the reception room had been sealed with a covering of heavy paper. In the reception room, against the bay window, stood the Christmas tree, not to be revealed until it should stand resplendent when the lights were turned on in the evening.
The big turkey dinner claimed attention in the middle of the day, and late in the afternoon, when it was getting very hard to wait for evening, the big-hearted near neighbor brought over an immense bag of peanuts – enough for everybody to have all they wanted; and when they were gone it was getting dusk and time for the evening lunch, and then to get ready for the program – and the tree!
Chairs were arranged in the living room facing the tree at the father side of the reception room, and here was seated a little company of friends, only room enough remaining for a passageway for the children, who were gathered in the dining room and who marched back and forth to music at their turns for taking part in the program.
When all was ready the music began, and then the children came, all of them except the two babies, one of whom was in bed, asleep, while the other, a pool little chicken-pox patient, on the road to recovery, made his appearance in “Father’s” arms when he stood in the wide doorway to announce the opening number and ask all the friends to join in singing it.
The line of children filed past the guests, through the little hall-way at the foot of the stairs, and across the room, where they turned their backs upon the tree and stood in graduated tiers, the tall ones in the rear and the wee ones in the front.
The leader of the church choir had led as many singers in a glorious cantata the night before. To-night looking out with others from a corner in the stairway, she could not find her voice to join these homeless ones in the new home provided for them. And others were there who were not much help to the children though they tried to master the feelings that rose to cut off the song.
But the children surely were happy, and when the program was over, released by “Mother,” who with “Edna” had them in charge in the dining room, they came flocking back to face the tree and exclaim and laugh and chatter, they were still as entertaining to their audience as when they were consciously trying to be so. Then they were quieted down, and, seated on the floor, they received their presents as their names were called, until each had a lap full. They were allowed a little time of enjoyment and then marched upstairs to bed, to fall asleep with joyous anticipations of to-morrow with their new possessions.”
Did someone in your family spend time in a Home or Orphanage?
Ps/ I believe Robert L. Hays was one of the children who received a gift that night. His mother had died the previous July, she was a member of the Reorganized Latter Day Saints church who ran this Home. Family says his father was unable to raise him.
Geneographer 