Hallowe’en 1950 – Michigan
(Written 8-28-1998)
Bridgman, Michigan; population about 1,000.
I was a sophomore in high school. We were Baptists, but there being no Baptist church in Bridgman, we went to the Congregational Church. Most of the kids at Bridgman High went to church there. (There was a Catholic Church and Catholic High School in Bridgman, too.)
Hallowe’en night was very special. We had a party at church. We played games and had apple cider and doughnuts for refreshments. I recall that we drank last year’s cider so they could put up the this year’s juice in the same containers. They grew lots of apples in that area. I think I ate a broomstick of doughnuts, too.
The last thing we did was to have a scavenger hunt. There were three or four people on each team. I forget what the prize was, but we had to go out into the town to do the hunt. One item was a dime of a certain year. Another was a lump of coal, and so on. The dime we got at the first house we went to. Also, the lump of coal. I was really impressed with the coal. I had never seen coal before. I was fascinated with it.
Anyhow, we got everything gathered up in just a few minutes and went back to the church. We were the first ones back, so our team won the scavenger hunt.
The kids there were very special. They were all so friendly and so good looking,–boys and girls alike. They were fun to be with and invited me to other parties in their homes. Though most of them lived on farms, I was unfamiliar with the quality of lives that they led. All so civilized and proper.
After the church party, almost everybody went to the party sponsored by the city of Bridgman. It was a carnival with lots of games and dancing. There was also a talent show.
At the talent show I played “The Glow Worm” on the clarinet (a difficult arrangement) and won first prize. Doing so was one of the highlights of my entire life. It was my first time to solo in public, and the crowd’s response was uplifting to me.
The thing I remember best about that Hallowe’en was that I had such a glow about me. Everything was so nice and wholesome! The people were so caring for one another; and they included me.
I have had many friends over the years, and had some really close ones in Texas before moving to Michigan. But, the ones in Michigan had an air of refinement and culture that I was not familiar with before that.
To this day I recall the quality of life I learned to appreciate in Michigan. That was my favorite Hallowe’en.