The following passages come from copies of previous publications of the Gothenburg Times, they have been summarized by Ashley Mohler. Each passage has its source and is cited at the end of the passages.

“My dad taught my dog, Sir, to sing like Elvis,” my grandmother Sylvia Hamilton told me as she was eating popcorn at her kitchen island. “When he told him to sing, Sir would start barking and howling instantly. It was very loud! Of course, what you need to know is that my father absolutely hated Elvis! That was one of my favorite memories with him, though.”

The composer Gustav Mahler once said, “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” With Christmas time among us, I’ve been thinking a lot about traditions. Gothenburg is proud of its Swedish roots, and we’re fascinated with the way things are done in Gothenburg, Sweden. We have families who can trace their lineage back to our original settlers. We also have families who are new to the community and are just beginning their life here. Each of these families have their own traditions, our town has traditions (such as the annual Pony Express re-ride, Harvest Festival, and Magic on Main Street events), our workplaces and churches have traditions.

I’ve had sort of a grudge with old Mr. Santa Claus. I was introduced to Santa Claus by my parents, who informed me that he was the one that brought all of my Christmas presents on Christmas day.