For this year's Old Settler's Day Celebration, instead of a special guest, the weekend is in memory of a long-time Alexander couple whose surviving relatives still live throughout the area.

Leonard and Elda Fixen first arrived in the area in the 1920s. Ellen Novak, 83, is one of Leonard and Elda's seven children. She described her parents as hard workers and loving parents who did everything they could to provide for her and her siblings as they were growing up in Alexander in the 1920s and 1930s.

She said Leonard and Elda first came to the area in 1922. She said it was a quiet, tight-knit community that helped each other out. Novak added it still is.

She said things were definitely tough in the 1930s for everyone, but they pulled through.

"They provided for the family by farming. Everyone stuck together in those times. We did what we could with what we had," said Novak. Remembering them as long-time residents and well-liked members of the community is probably one of the reasons they were chosen to be the honored guests this year, said Novak. She said one of her brothers works for the city of Alexander as well, and perhaps him suggesting it to those organizing this year's event helped.

"He's usually up on what's going on," said Novak.

Novak said there a program honoring her parents is at 1 p.m. on Saturday. She said it should be a really wonderful event that she'll definitely enjoy.

Novak said she and other relatives are participating in the annual Old Settler's Day parade that morning as well.

"We'll all be in the parade. We're also going to be having a Fixen family reunion that weekend as well," said Novak.

Novak said it should turn out to be a very special weekend between the honoring of her parents and family coming together.

She said it should be a lot of fun to get back in touch with various relatives from throughout the area and reminisce.

Novak said it'll be good to look back at the lives of her father, who passed away in 1981, and her mother, who passed away in 1990.

She said she'll be able to remember her parents and the time they spent growing up when her mother always grew a nice little garden and memories of the family raising a few chickens and cows.

"We didn't have a big garden. We didn't have a lot of animals, but we had some and we were able to get by," said Novak.

Novak described her father as a man who loved music.

"Dad played the violin. The harmonica, too," said Novak.

Novak said one of her more vivid childhood memories is when the family would clear the furniture out of the main room of their home and have people over to hold dances.

She added her parents weren't the type to go out on the town or travel a lot, but they were always well respected and liked by their neighbors and everyone in town.

"They would have some people over to play cards at times, too," said Novak.

Novak said her parents were hard working. She said they did everything they could to make sure she and her siblings had enough to eat, grow up and have a chance to go out and do what they wanted to do with their lives.

She misses them and thinks that somewhere, they're looking down and smiling at her and her family right now.

"I think they're looking down and thinking about how proud they are of how well their family ended up turning out," said Novak.

The 64th annual Old Settler's Day Celebration continues Friday through Sunday afternoon in Alexander.