November 26, 2020, will be long remembered as the year of the pandemic Thanksgiving. The date coincided with another momentous occasion, but because of COVID-19, I wasn't able to celebrate it as I would have liked: it was the 150th birthday of my paternal great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs. 

The earliest photo I've found so far of G. Oliver, left, with his younger sister Daisy

This time last year, I had different plans in mind for marking G. Oliver's 150th birthday. I had hoped to host a book reading/birthday party in St. Cloud in mid- or late November, invite friends and family, serve cake, arrange for some live music — it would have been the type of event I have sorely missed during these weeks and months of the global pandemic. 

G. Oliver was born on Nov. 26, 1870, in Louisa County, Iowa. This was seven years after the United States celebrated its first official national Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26, 1863. Before that time, each state scheduled its own Thanksgiving holidays at different times. But on Oct. 3, 1863, expressing gratitude for the Union victory at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday of every November thereafter would be considered a national Thanksgiving Day.

G. Oliver died on Jan. 26, 1946, in Bemidji, Minn., at age 75. The last Thanksgiving he was alive for was held on Nov. 22, 1945 — it was the first Thanksgiving after the end of World War II. The celebration must been both joyous and bittersweet that year, with people feeling relief that peace had come, sorrow about all the lives lost, and uncertainty about how the country would move forward in the post-war years. I can imagine that next year's Thanksgiving celebrations may bring up similar emotions. With the news of multiple COVID-19 vaccines on the way in early 2021, or even by the end of this year, it's encouraging to know that we will eventually be able to gather again safely for big public events like birthday parties and book readings. 

In this spirit of optimism, I will buoy my spirits with the idea that we might be able to celebrate G. Oliver's milestone birthday later in 2021 — perhaps in May, for his 150 1/2 birthday, or in late fall, before his 151st birthday. Stay tuned for details.

Speaking of celebrations, if you're looking for a gift for a special person this holiday season, my book about G. Oliver's life and musical legacy, Crackerjack Bands and Hometown Boosters: The Story of a Minnesota Music Man, is available through many different sources; several are linked on my Deep Valley Book Festival author page and on my website. I especially encourage purchases through local independent bookstores. Store that have been especially supportive of me are listed in the links below.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, and Happy Birthday to G. Oliver! 

• Beaverdale Books in Des Moines, IA

• Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery in Park Rapids, MN

• Content Bookstore in Northfield, MN

• Cherry Street Books in Alexandria, MN

• Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais, MN

• Ferguson Books & More in Grand Forks, ND

• Irreverent Bookworm in Minneapolis, MN

• Zenith Bookstore in Duluth, MN