Building tradition

SUN CITY – On the day after Thanksgiving, you are probably either getting your house back in order, pulling out your Christmas decorations, or getting in on those early-bird specials in the stores. Not Linda and Frank Fenneman (N. 28). While they will be getting their house back in order after entertaining twenty-plus people on Thanksgiving Day, they will now be setting up and preparing for their 13 grandchildren who will come over the day after and make Gingerbread Houses. She has the older children in the dining room and the younger ones in the kitchen. The mothers will bring powdered sugar and a bag or two of candies and then stay and help the children. The holiday music is playing in the background.

Cutline: It started in a small apartment 44 years ago, when the Fennemans lived with another couple. Over the years, Linda and Frank Fenneman have built making gingerbread houses into a tradition they share with their entire family. (Photos by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)

Forty-four years ago, Linda and Frank started a wonderful tradition. Back then, they lived in a small apartment, and with another couple, they decided to make the gingerbread houses. The two fellows made the patterns and the ladies put the ingredients together.

Today, they continue that tradition in their home in Sun City. Linda has already baked all the pieces and stored them in the freezer–one bag/kit for each child. The kits come in three sizes. She always bakes extra pieces, as some have to be replaced. Either they are broken or eaten! (Oops!) Linda purchases several different kinds of candy, which can include peppermint pinwheels, red hots, gum drops, trees, leaves, and candy canes. Pretzels can be used for the walkway and roofs or Chex mix for the roofs. She places these on paper plates on the table. Each child gets their own gingerbread house. The pieces for the houses and the candies are then adhered together by using decorator tubes with royal icing, which dries like “cement” in a couple of days. The icing is made of powdered sugar, cream of tartar, water, and meringue powder in place of egg whites.

The day after Thanksgiving, Linda Fenneman has her 13 grandchildren over for their annual gingerbread-making tradition.

Through the years, Linda and Frank have made tons of gingerbread houses. She used to sell them in Palatine and even taught people how to make them through the park district one year.

“It’s all about the grandkids,” Linda happily admits. Pizza circles that can be purchased at Michael’s are the bases for the houses, and as long as it’s not raining, the children can take their gingerbread houses home from “Nana’s” that day. Some of the children will make them for their teachers. Otherwise, the houses can be “gone” in about two weeks. (Yum!)

Linda also bakes cookies for the kids so they can munch while they are decorating their houses. “My 85-year-old mother will be here this year.” Linda added.

“There were a few years there where we made them out on the deck, it was so warm out.”

It was just last month that Linda was hospitalized, and there was a question as to whether she would still be able to put on her decorating party. “I didn’t want to let it go,” Linda confessed. “It’s ‘Nana’s’ job.” Linda said that, “Even people from the church and other organizations will stop in to see the party. There will be decorating tubes covered in frosting, with frosting all over the floor.” She laughs in delight.

“We always have a family picture taken [when we’re done[, and I have sweatshirts that I’ve decorated using appliqués for the kids. These go in my Christmas cards.”

Linda used to sell real estate, and for three years she and her husband rented a home in Sun City before they bought their very own. “We love it!” she said. She’s also a member of the Pencil & Palette Club, which is an art club. She studied art in college and holds many certificates: nursing assistant, cardiac rehabilitation, Teacher’s Aid. Linda also participated in craft shows.

Frank and Linda have five children, and when they all get together, they number twenty six. “The youngest is going to be four and the oldest is fifteen.”

Linda joyfully admits, “It’s just fun!”

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