Residents visit friends, family on Christmas

    The wave of rain, sleet and snow that is sweeping across Iowa has complicated the travel plans of many people seeking to visit relatives for Christmas. Washington resident Donna Monger has plans to drive to Pennsylvania this weekend, but she said the weather will dictate whether or not those plans can be executed.

    ?We are planning to drive to Pennsylvania on Saturday to visit friends of ours, but that depends on the weather,? said Monger. ?Then we?ll drive to Bristol, Tenn., on Monday where we?ll have our family Christmas. We plan on staying in Tennessee for a week.?

    Monger said she is prepared for the long road trip ahead. She said the drive out to Pennsylvania is 12 hours, and then from there to Tennessee is another eight hours.

    ?We like to drive,? said Monger. ?We go home to Tennessee about five times a year.?

    Washington resident Karen Murphy will be visited by her three children on Christmas. Her son Matthew is coming from Atlanta, her son Derek is driving from Bettendorf, and her daughter Janelle just flew in from Portland last week. She said she?s pleased to see her children because she doesn?t have many opportunities to do so. Her son Derek just returned from living in Germany for a few years.

    Murphy said her family likes to eat scalloped oysters when they get together over the holidays. Her daughter Janelle said she enjoys coming home to Washington and partaking in the family traditions.

    ?When we?re here, we normally attend a Christmas service and we usually make Christmas egg rolls,? said Murphy?s daughter Janelle Menzia-Murphy.

    Menzia-Murphy flew from Portland to Moline on Saturday with her husband Jess Menzia. Menzia-Murphy said she and her husband visit Washington three times a year. Menzia-Murphy said that she drove from Washington to Portland once, and the trip lasted three days. 

    Jean Peiffer lives just outside Washington and is going to have her children over on Christmas morning. That evening, she and her family will visit her parents who live in Keota.

    Peiffer has three children, one of whom lives in Waverly. She said she?s worried that the bad weather may prevent her daughter in Waverly from arriving on time, just like it did in 2008. Peiffer said that she tries to remember the less fortunate during the Christmas season.

    ?I try to remember others who aren?t as fortunate,? said Peiffer. ?We have a giving tree at church that we participate in. It?s not all about us. It?s about helping those around us.?

    John Hays is looking forward to playing games with friends on Christmas Day. Hays lives in Washington, and said he and his wife bought a Nintendo Wii a few weeks ago.

For the full article, see the Dec. 24 print edition of the Washington Evening Journal.