 Mary Lou (Heiden) Opfermann - I remember Helma and Herb’s shivery. That was impressive
to me.
Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - They went to Indiana to get married but when they came home,
a bunch of relatives and neighbors said, “We’re coming tonight so
have some beer ready.”
Helma (Heiden) Nickel - I still have the receipt from Jim Malone’s in Ida where Herb
went and got the beer. It was a dollar something a case. He got beer
and candy and pop for the kids.
Mary Lou (Heiden) Opfermann - Remember they had the old metal wash tubs that they were
banging on to make noise?
Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - You always had to be careful because they would threatened
to take the bride “for a ride” in the truck.
Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - Did they take you for a ride?
Helma (Heiden) Nickel - No they didn’t!
Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - You should have heard the noise.
John Eipperle put something
on his exhaust pipe that made the pipes “whistle” real loud. I
remember everyone in the house just holding their ears. They made so
much noise!
Mary Lou (Heiden) Opfermann - What year did you get married, Helma?
Helma (Heiden) Nickel - 1938
Mary Lou (Heiden) Opfermann - So, I would have been 9 years old but I can remember it
very well.
Pat (Bicking) Klass - The only place I ever saw a shivery was on The Waltons on T.V.
 Helma (Heiden) Nickel - They had one for
Mildred and John Eipperle too. That was ten
years before Herb and I got married though.
Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - They had those big tubs of beer and everybody came and
drank. They just had to have a party.
Word must have passed around the neighborhood and they just showed
up at a certain time. You had to have some food and drink ready.
Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - Did you know they were coming?
Helma (Heiden) Nickel - Yes. It was on the very first night back from being married.
We got back from
Hilda’s on Sunday and the shivery was on Monday
night.
All the relatives from Toledo were invited too. The house was
full. The yard was full. Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - People would make all kinds of noise banging on pots and
tubs.
Helma (Heiden) Nickel - Yes, and then the newlyweds would have to show themselves on
the porch.
 Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - Guess you’d say we were kind of a party family.
Pat (Bicking) Klass - At the reunions, I remember having those big horse troughs and
everyone would be in there fishing around for beer and pop in the
icy water.
Helma (Heiden) Nickel - At
Lester and Lila’s shivery, I remember them passing out
drinks and fresh fried cakes.
Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - Did
Lee and Lou have one?
Mary Lou (Heiden) Opfermann - I don’t remember, I wasn’t born yet! |
Pictured
is what was called a cassette tape back in pre-digital
times.
This
was a carry over of a 19th century custom in rural America where
a newly married couple were given a mock serenade performed with
pots, pans and homemade instruments. The word is derived from
the French word charivari which denotes the same folk
custom performed in France.
Over
the years, we have also received written memories and
remembrances about this person or topic from various family
members. 
Wilma, Jeanie, Wm Frank, Helma & Marie were
children of 
