Halloween memories about treats and traditions

Making mischief, making memories, making a pile of candy – how do you remember the Halloweens of your youth? We asked our residents and staff members to share some of their favorite stories and traditions from the spookiest holiday.

Ann Hunter of the Westerly grew up in the small town of Port City, Iowa. There was a tradition (yearly prank) on Halloween where the kids would go tip over outhouses and also load them on trucks and line the main street with them. The poor farmers would all be missing their outhouses when they went out to work.

Peggy Endicott and Marlene Stine of the Westerly Residences remember enjoying candy corn -- it was always that special Halloween treat. They also said the “wax bottle candy” (a.k.a. Nik-L-Nips) was the candy they loved. They were shaped like mini pop bottles and filled with a liquid “juice” candy concentrate. After you sucked out the liquid, you could chew on the wax like a piece of gum.

Home Health Director Cheryl Rains: “I grew up in a small town of 4,500 people. Back then it didn’t seem dangerous or inappropriate for my 11-year-old brother to take my sister (7) and me (8) trick or treating. He had us put our little plastic pumpkins away and grab queen-sized pillow cases from the linen closet. He drug us all over the entire town. I think we even doubled back on some of the houses with the ‘good candy.’ I was so tired by the time we headed back home that I was dragging my pillow case full of candy.

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