With Thanksgiving in mind, Peninsula Clarion staff spent some time asking members of our community what they’re thankful for, and their favorite Thanksgiving memories. Here’s what we found:
“I’m thankful I have all my family here. My favorite Thanksgiving is having Thanksgiving dinner with all my family.”
— Hal Webb, Sterling
“Food. I love the food. Getting with all of the crazy relatives. We play a lot of games like Farkle.”
— Claudia Feltman
“I am thankful for having a teacher. She gives us the cracker cookies at the end of the day. They are animal crackers.”
— Cailee Percival, age 5
“I’m thankful that my tick-tock still works. We are fortunate to have many great memories. We have been here for years, have hundreds of friends. You can’t beat that.”
— Bill Bolz, Sterling
“I am thankful for my family. They support me through thick and thin. I am thankful for all the stuff I have because I know people in other countries don’t have as much as I have.”
— Lillian Gomez, age 13
“Going home and being with family. Being with family is my favorite memory every year.”
— Beck Craft
“I’m thankful for my health and my family, and my seniors. (Thanksgiving is) a good time for family and friends to get together. And to invite strangers into your home, if you know somebody that doesn’t have family. I always think it’s neat that on Thanksgiving Day, our center is closed but it’s open. The Senior Center provides the meat and potatoes and gravy, and we join in a dinner together, so people don’t have to be alone. I think it’s important to provide that camaraderie and fellowship.”
— Rachael Craig, Director, Kenai Senior Center
“I am thankful for the soldiers that fight for us, the food that keeps us alive and clothing a and shoes so I don’t have to walk around in bare feet in the cold. I am thankful for my school so I have the knowledge of how to give back when I am older.”
— Isaiah Coleman-Rice, age 10
I’m most thankful “that I am a child of God.” My favorite memory is “being together with family. I don’t have any specific (times), just when times the family comes together throughout the years.”
— Zane Fallon, Kenai
“Family, friends and good health. Probably late elementary. We always had a big gathering with extended family and played bingo with my grandmother.”
— Lori Nelson, Anchorage
“My family and having the opportunity for everybody to get together and to thank God for everything we have. When we were kids, we played bingo at grandma’s house every Thanksgiving with unusual prizes – a chicken neck and one time we had my aunt’s stockings.”
— Laura Favretto, Nikiski
“I am thankful for my teacher. She helps me learn about stuff so I know what to do when I grow up. I want to make clothes when I grow up. I am also thankful for the pilgrims because they made the first Thanksgiving happen.”
— Tait Cooper, age 8
“I am thankful for having a roof over my head and spending time with my family. Not everyone’s family is always a part of their lives. Not everyone gets the have the experiences I do.”
— Cheyenne Everett, age 13
“It’s great to be alive and we will live on the greatest nation on Earth, but not as great as it used to be. On Thanksgiving we all went to my great-grandmother’s house in Oregon. We didn’t have football on TV. All the kids went out into the woods and ran around.”
— Dale Werings, Sterling
“That I’m upright, walking around, talking to friends. My favorite memory of Thanksgiving is the turkey. The main event.”
— Bill Warren, Nikiski
“Family and health and my faith. “Favorite moment when I was living in California and my son was in grade school. We were going to have turducken on a sailboat but the winds were too high so we drove back home and experienced turducken, which was pretty awful.”
— Sue McClure, Seward
“I’m almost 87 and I’ve had a good long life and a younger husband. We were at my son’s house for Thanksgiving dinner in Soldotna and as I walked out the door the turkey slipped out of my arms and went under the car. And boy was it good.”
— Phyllis Bolz, Sterling
“I am thankful for my Camaro. It is my dad’s and we have to fix it up.”
— Lyrad Larson, age 10
“I am thankful for playing games and going to the movie theater and going bowling. I go with my family and friends and always have fun.”
— Jeramiah Davis Payton, age 9
“I am thankful for my family, friends, community and my job. That is my life.”
— Johna Beech
“I am thankful for being able to play pop warner football because it is a really fun experience. I like it because it is aggressive. I am thankful for my family because they are really kind. My family is a football family. I have three other brothers and they all play football.”
— Maison Dunham, age 11
“I am thankful for having a really good school and teachers and a really good family. I think people in other places don’t get such a good school and some people are poor. I am thankful for having nice friends because some people might not be good friends. They might be rude.”
— Echo Thiele, age 12
“I spend most of my Thanksgivings in Anchorage in a hotel room. (My family) goes up every year for hockey. Usually we get a Fred Meyer turkey.”
— Shane Miller, student
“When I came here from Romania, I’m adopted. And my grandma and grandpa, everybody showed up. I was so excited about how much food there was. In Romania we didn’t have a lot of that. I was excited with all the decorations and my mom was cooking and my dad was putting up Christmas lights. Yeah. I just remember how big the turkey was and everybody just having fun.”
— Viorica Thompson
“I am really thankful my dog Marvin made it through the winter. His hips gave out and he just barely made it through the summer. He is doing better; we can take him on walks now.”
— Emily Patow, age 10
“Spending time with family, playing games with them. And, all the leftovers.”
— Lake Nash
“Probably, I guess, my family. I think family has always been a big thing for me. I’ve always grown up really attached to my family. The dinner itself, because my aunt cooks really good turkey and mashed potatoes, so it’s the dinner part of it that I really remember.”
— Jonathan Barahona, Anchorage
“I am thankful that I am in middle school. Now I get to go to camps for two days. Before we only got to go for one day even on the biggest trips of the year. I am thankful we get a choice for lunch. It really helps because sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad. The teriyaki chicken is like slime. My favorite foods are pizza and ravioli.”
— Jacob Wisnewski, age 12
Comments and photos were compiled by Clarion staff Rashah McChesney, Kelly Sullivan, Dan Balmer, Ben Boettger and Ian Foley.
Phyllis Bolz, Sterling “I’m almost 87 and I’ve had a good long life and a younger husband.” “We were at my son’s house for Thanksgiving dinner in Soldotna and as I walked out the door the turkey slipped out of my arms and went under the car. And boy was it good.”
Bill Bolz, Sterling “I’m thankful that my tick-tock still works.” “We are fortunate to have many great memories. We have been here for years, have hundreds of friends. You can’t beat that.”
Dale Werings, Sterling “It’s great to be alive and we will live on the greatest nation on Earth, but not as great as it used to be.” “On Thanksgiving we all went to my great grandmothers house in Oregon. We didn’t have football on TV. All the kids went out into the woods and ran around.”
Hal Webb, Sterling “I’m thankful I have all my family here. “My favorite Thanksgiving is having Thanksgiving dinner with all my family.”
Sue McClure, Seward “Family and health and my faith.” “Favorite moment when I was living in California and my son was in grade school. We were going to have triduckin on a sailboat but the winds were too high so we drove back home and experienced triduckin, which was pretty awful.”
Viorica Thompson When I came here from romania, I’m adopted. And my grandma and grandpa, everybody showed up. I was so excited about how much food there was. In Romania we didn’t have a lot of that. I was excited with all the decorations and my mom was cooking and my dad was putting up Christmas lights. Yeah. I just remember how big the turkey was and everybody just having fun.
Shane Miller, student “I spend most of my Thanksgivings in Anchorage in a hotel room. (My family) goes up every year for hockey. Usually we get a Fred Meyers turkey.”
Lake Nash “Spending time with family, playing games with them. And, all the leftovers. “
Claudia Feltman “Food. I love the food. Getting with all of the crazy relatives. We play a lot of games like Farkle.”
Beck Craft “Going home and being with family. Being with family is my favorite memory every year.”
Cailee Percival, age 5 “I am thankful for having a teacher. She gives us the cracker cookies at the end of the day. They are animal crackers.”
(Left) Jeramiah Davis Payton, age 9 “I am thankful for playing games and going to the movie theatre and going bowling. I go with my family and friends and always have fun.” (Right) Lyrad Larson, age 10 “I am thankful for my camero. It is my dad’s and we have to fix it up.”
Johna Beech, ‘I am thankful for my family, friends, community and my job. That is my life.”
Maison Dunham, age 11 “I am thankful for being able to play pop warner football because it is a really fun experience. I like it because it is aggressive. I am thankful for my family because they are really kind. My family is a football family. I have three other brothers and they all play football.”
Ian Foley/Peninsula Clarion Lori Nelson Anchorage What are you most thankful for? “Family, friends and good health.” What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? “Probably late elementary. We always had a big gathering with extended family and played bingo with my grandmother.”
Lillian Gomez, age 13 “I am thankful for my family. They support me through thick and thin. I am thankful for all the stuff I have because I know people in other countries don’t have as much as I have.”
Echo Thiele, age 12 “I am thankful for having a really good school and teachers and a reall good family. I think people in other places don’t get such a good school and some people are poor. I am thankful for having nice friends because some people might not be good friends. They might be rude.”
Emily Patow, age 10 “I am really thankful my dog marvin made it through the winter. His hips gave out and he just barely made it through the summer. He is doing better; we can take him on walks now.”
Jacob Wisnewski, age 12 “I am thankful that I am in middle school. Now I get to go to camps for two days. Before we only got to go for one day even on the biggest trips of the year. I am thankful we get a choice for lunch. It really helps because sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad. The teriyaki chicken is like slime. My favorite foods are pizza and ravioli.
Isaiah Coleman-Rice, age 10 “I am thankful for the soldiers that fight for us, the food that keeps us alive and clothing a and shoes so I don’t have to walk around in bare feet in the cold. I am thankful for my school so I have the knowledge of how to give back when I am older.”
Lyrad Larson, age 10 “I am thankful for my camero. It is my dad’s and we have to fix it up.”
Jeramiah Davis Payton, age 9 “I am thankful for playing games and going to the movie theatre and going bowling. I go with my family and friends and always have fun.”
Tait Cooper, age 8 “I am thankful for my teacher. She helps me learn about stuff so I know what to do when I grow up. I want to make clothes when I grow up. I am also thankful for the pilgrims because they made the first thanksgiving happen.”
Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Rachael Craig, Director of the Kenai Senior Center “I’m thankful for my health and my family, and my seniors. (Thanksgiving is) a good time for family and friends to get together. And to invite strangers into your home, if you know somebody that doesn’t have family. I always think it’s neat that on Thanksgiving Day, our center is closed but it’s open. The Senior Center provides the meat and potatoes and gravy, and we join in a dinner together, so people don’t have to be alone. I think it’s important to provide that camaraderie and fellowship.”
Ian Foley/Peninsula Clarion Zane Fallon Kenai What are you most thankful for? “That I am a child of God.” What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? “Being together with family. I don’t have any specific (times), just when times the family comes together throughout the years.”
Ian Foley/Peninsula Clarion Laura Favretto Nikiski What are you most thankful for? “My family and having the opportunity for everybody to get together and to thank God for everything we have.” What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? “When we were kids, we played bingo at grandma’s house every Thanksgiving with unusual prizes – a chicken neck and one time we had my aunt’s stockings.”
Ian Foley/Peninsula Clarion Jonathan Barahona Anchorage What are you most thankful for? “Probably, I guess, my family. I think family has always been a big thing for me. I’ve always grown up really attached to my family.” What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? “The dinner itself, because my aunt cooks really good turkey and mashed potatoes, so it’s the dinner part of it that I really remember.”
Ian Foley/Peninsula Clarion Bill Warren Nikiski What are you most thankful for? “That I’m upright, walking around talking to friends” What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? “My favorite memory of Thanksgiving is the turkey. The main event.
