A look back at Christmas wishes from 50 years ago

This week and next we’ll take a look at some letters to Santa that were published in the Progress 50 ago for Christmas 1967.

First up is a very practical one.

“Dear Santa, My name is Angie Cook and I am 6  1/2 months old so I can not write so my aunt Debbie is doing it for me. Please send me a mirror to hang across my bed because I love to look at myself. I love you, Santa. P.S. I am beginning to crawl so please send me some crawlers, the floor is rough on my knees. Thank you for everything.”

And then there’s this one from a thoughtful Gary Bevirt.

“Dear Santa, How have you been? I have been a good boy sometimes! I have a little sister Joan Marie, would you bring her some toys? Some toys I like are Tonka trucks, a gas station, some games and books. Thank you.”

75 years ago Dec. 24, 1942

Tragic news of another O’Fallon casualty of the war, the third from this community since this country entered the conflict, came yesterday morning when a telegram from the U.S. Navy informed Mr. and Mrs. John R. Miller, of East Second street, that their son, Glendle Lee Miller, 21 years old, Boatswain’s Mate Second Class, was killed in action in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country. He was one of the survivors of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, being stationed there at the time.

50 years ago Dec. 21, 1967

The O’Fallon Township High School “Prowler” student newspaper appeared Tuesday in a new form that permits the students to do the “typesetting” and the presswork is done by the O’Fallon Progress. The Prowler had previously been done in the school on an office duplicator with a restriction in page size of 8 1/2 x 11. Today’s issue carries four half-tone photographs and is four pages in regular tabloid size. Publication was by journalism students under the direction of Art Voellinger.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 8:22 AM with the headline "A look back at Christmas wishes from 50 years ago."