shooting off  the Old Year Isaac Marberger was an old man when Ma was a girl.  Ma was born in 1842.  New Years eve, he with a group with guns would come around to the homes, recite the appropriate German poem and “Shoot off the Old Year”, get their treat, fruit, cakes, wine, etc., and then move on.  The children looked forward to this event.  [Back to tales of 1700s and 1800s ]