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Across the Fence:  do you have 'heirlooms'?  |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 6:31:51 PM
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have you inherited anything that is near and dear to your heart?
tell us a story about it! |
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Linda Houston
True Blue Farmgirl
538 Posts
Linda
Lake Charles
Louisiana
USA
538 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 7:27:40 PM
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My Mother passed a year ago and I inherited her china cabinet. It belonged to my grandmother. The piece is a beautiful piece, but the reason I treasure it is: My Mother parents were not wealthy people. In fact they were poor hard-working folks. There were 9 surviving children and my Po-Po was a baker and peddler. Mother would tell me stories of the way they lived and ate and it was wonderful for me to sit and listen to her. Her family was a very close-knit family, so we learn that having money is not the most important thing in relationships.
I have no idea how much the piece costs, but I have often wondered how my grandparents had the money to buy it, or was it given to them? It is well over 100 years and it hold my other keepsakes from both sides of my family.
From my father's family one of the things I inheritied was the hand made items that my Great-grand mother and Grandmother did. The work is beautiful--I have several pieces out so that I can enjoy them daily. I regret that I did not take time before my grandmother died to learn to do some of the things she did. |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 10:52:25 PM
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I inherited a beautiful 1940's picture of Jesus from my dad about 8 years before he died. When I was a little girl the country church we attended had a revival. They had this picture of Jesus to give away to the people that invited the most guests. Well, our little town only had 200 people and Mother & Daddy invited 40 people that came. They got the picture and it proudly hung in our living room for as long as I can remember.
When I was home visiting about 8 years ago, my dad asked me if there was any pictures or other things that I'd like to have some day. I told him the only thing I wanted was the Jesus picture. When I got ready to go home at the end of the week he told me to take it with me. I was just so happy. I carefully wrapped and carried it on the plane with me all the way back to WA. It now hangs in my dining room and every time I look at it I think of my parents.
I've written this story on a piece of paper which has been attached to the back of the picture. That way whichever one of my girls gets the picture will know the story behind it.
GO WHITE SOX!!!!
http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
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tiffany01
True Blue Farmgirl
134 Posts
Tiffany
Indiana
USA
134 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 03:13:03 AM
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| My grandmother's wedding ring. My biological grandfather died when I was 6 so I don't remember much about him. But Granny remarried within a couple of years so I had Omer to tease me, laugh at my jokes and teach me to eat cornbread with milk and maple syrup. When Granny died a couple of years ago, my older sister inherited her wedding rings from her first marriage and I received her rings from her second marriage. I had it resized and wear it everyday. When Granny and Omer's house was sold, my dad asked the new owners for the name off the top of their mailbox. He mounted it on an old piece of wood and it sits in my laundry room. Makes me smile every day. |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 4:26:46 PM
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In herited my grandmother's cannister set and her statues she hand carried from Italy at the turn of the century (20th). Story is on my thread with my new Halloween photos and Chloe photo. I also inherited my grandmother's engagement ring.I bought a small diamond to fit the setting because the stone had been taken out and given to another cousin and gave it to my daughter, Christina. When my Mom passed last year, I kept her wedding ring, which I wear on my wedding ring finger and my Dad's wedding ring, which I wear on my right hand. My Mom and Dad eloped in 1934 (now, THAT's a story!) and were re-married in the Church in 1954. I gave my daughter the second ring that my Mom got then. I was an only child and when my Mom died, it was my task to sell her home in Conn. and dispose of her things. My 3 children, all adults, were with me then and son Pete took a lot of furniture (he was living in NH at the time), son Patrick wanted photos and other memorabilia, and we divided up what was precious to us. I am working on a series of photo albums of the pictures Mom had. We were lucky that my uncle Johnny was a photographer and had a photo developing store so we had photos that not many people had early in the 20th century. He wasn't so lucky. He died of cancer at a young age from the chemicals he was exposed to. My greatest inherited items are the photos, the ones of my parental grandparents from they lived in Italy (with my grandfather in the uniform of the Italian army. He looks about 15), the gorgeous framed portrait of my mother when she was a young girl, etc. And, of course, the saints, whom I call "the gang". (see story in Halloween thread). Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Makes one very grateful to have these things.
Happy Wishes! |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 4:31:30 PM
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oops, I forgot to mention that my mother worked in a department store in the late 20s, early 30s, and she sold needlework supplies. She also taught these skills to women who bought in the department. She loved to do embroidery and fancy stitching and knitting. I have her knitting needles from those days, an old small loom that I can't figure out, silk threads from those days, and some of her finished work. These are treasures.
Plus, I found 50 love letters my parents sent to each other during those days. If anyone is interested I'll tell you that story. It's very romantic and vintage. Things were so different back then. So I have all these letters back and forth that she saved for over 60 years and that I found in her hope chest. I think besides the photos, these are my most loved heirlooms.
OK, I'll be quiet now.
Happy Wishes! |
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Linda Houston
True Blue Farmgirl
538 Posts
Linda
Lake Charles
Louisiana
USA
538 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 6:36:24 PM
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| Patricia, I can understand you treasuring the letters. I would love to hear the story of the letters. That is priceless. |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 6:56:10 PM
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My Grandmother on my Mom's side just passed away two years ago. I inherited her little dancing pig statue and the rooster with the flower in his mouth for the little hen statues. My grandmother use to make up stories about these little figurines when I was a kid and I had always loved them. They always sat on the windowsill in her kitchen, their each about 3" tall. I also inherited Miss Kitty her cat. Miss Kitty was Grandma's companion for the last 6 years of her life - she would bring her toys to bed everynight when grandma went to sleep and she would sit on the footstool near my grandma and listen to her when she talked. She is just the sweetest thing. I also inherited (you might find it odd) her Rainbow, water filter vaccum. She bought it in 1957, still has the original owners manual, inspection tag and cardboard carrier for all of the attachments. It works wonderfully, very quiet, little to no dust exhaust and picks up like a champ. Having 3 cats, there is alot of kitty hair to get rid of. She wanted me to have it because of my husband's terrible allergies to dust, etc.
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2005 : 8:01:54 PM
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Well, Linda, my parents were first generation Americans. Their parents came here from Serra San Bruno in Calabria, Italy and continued a lot of the old country ways. This was, don't forget, the late twenties and early thirties when my parents met. In those days among Italian families, the suitor had to ask permission of the lady's father to date her. My father was a (insert gasp here)musician who played banjo and guitar with a band called The Vagabonds. He also was their singer.
My grandfather said, "no way!" was he going to date my mother. She and her sister, my Aunt Rose, were known around Hartford, Conn. as "The Valente Girls" and were known for their beauty and style. (They were also incredibly innocent. They had to be or answer to Papa)
Now, my mother was working for Brown Thompson, a department store in Hartford, in the needlework department, selling knitting and needlework supplies and teaching the skills to customers. Forbidden to see her, my father got a job at the same store. They couldn't even talk at the store, so they wrote letters to each other, addressed them to each other at Brown Thompson's. These letters continued whether my Dad was in town or on the road and talked about what was going on in their lives, but most of all how much in love they were.
One day, my grandfather saw my father on the street and decked him and told him to stay away from his daughter.
In 1934, my parents eloped to New York state with my Aunt Tillie and her then husband. They sent a telegram to my grandparents. My aunt Margaret (Dolly), a teenager at the time, got the telegram and didn't know what to do with it. (I can just see her trying to figure out what to do). Finally, she gave it to my grandfather, who said nothing, went into the bathroom, and cried.
When he saw my parents, he told my father, "You have taken the most beautiful flower from my garden." Eventually, all was forgiven, but I don't think my mother ever forgave herself for eloping and causing her parents' distress. Eventually, in 1954, they had their marriage sanctified by the Church. I think I'll post some old family photos so you can see what I'm talking about. When my Mom died last year at 92, she was skin and bones, practically hairless, knarled and in and out of consciousness at the hospital. I knew she would be horrified to know people were seeing her like that, so I brought in photos of her when she was young and beautiful, her family, my Dad. All the nurses on all the shifts came in wanting to see the photos and enjoyed them so much, it made me happy. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. She died a year ago this week in Connecticut.
I saw her a couple of days later, with my Dad, at my Aunt Dolly's house where I was having dinner with her. We sat down at the table and suddenly there was my Mom sitting across from me, looking as lovely as she did back in 1920, dressed in a white dress and holding hands with my Dad over the table. He was sitting at the head of the table between us. He was a very handsome man and always dressed to the nines. They both did. He was wearing a white suit with a black tie. He said, "We smelled the pasta and we had to come." They looked so happy! I've also seen them dancing briefly. They overcame a lot in their lives. They deserve their happiness.
Gee, I've written a book. I'll dig up some photos tomorrow and post them here.
Thanks for asking.
P
Happy Wishes! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2005 : 3:55:21 PM
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I feel really blessed to have things from my beloved grandma ( a wonderful filet crocheted picture of two horses dated 1947 that she made and had framed, it hangs in my bedroom, two beaded evening purses, a hen on a nest dish, a calf planter shaped like an adorable brown and white spotted calf that was on her kitchen window sill my whole life, a ring that was given to her by an old boyfriend when she was a teenager, and several other small things like that) my grandpa (a metal candy box from when he was a cowboy working breaking horses from ranch to ranch as a young man..he kept his money and important papers in it like a treasure box, and a phot album of him with all his horses, and his leather working tools ..he taught me to tool leather when I was a kid and we did wallets and belts together alot..I should do that again!, and a doll that was his when he was a little tiny boy that his mom made..with a metal head and cloth body, and a little farmer's coin purse that was his dads)from my great grandma (given to me by my great uncle) I have two oil lamps and a washboard that she brought to calif during the depression from Oklahoma. I have a book about that side of the family too (my mom's mom's side..the Turners)..that I cherish, and lots of little things. I have the little white new testement that my mom carried with her bouquet when she married my dad. From my first husband's grandma I have a wonderful old dutch girl cookie jar.
I have been collecting old family photos and doing geneology more lately. I guess it is my age and that my grandparents have all passed on and I miss them, but I want to gather the stuff together and do an ancestor album.
Jenny in Utah
Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
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sqrl
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Melissa
Northern California
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2005 : 09:06:16 AM
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Patricia, what an amazing, wonderful story thank you for sharing. I don't have much of an inheritence thankfully mostly because most of my family is still alive and well. My maternal grandparent came here from Germany with only their son and my Mom and Aunt inside my Grandmom's belly. But my Grandmom has giving me two beautiful pieces of jewery that I treasure. One of them is very unique drop of amber, I absolutely love amber and this is a piece I've seen anything like it, I never take it off my neck. She also gave a beaded necklace, the beads look like they're made of ivory (though I don't think they are)and they are carved into roses. It is very pretty, she knew that I always loved this necklace and so she pass it on to me. I also have my Mom engagement ring, but I'm ruff on jewery and don't trust myself to wear it. My DH had a friend who unfortunitly took his own life and left everything to us so through that whole process we inherited some very useful things like a serger and another sewing machine, lot's of thread and needles all kinds of tools. It's was an usual experience and an usual inheritence.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com www.sisterhood.sqrlbee.com
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 07:00:47 AM
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| Everything I have is from someone in my family that is now gone. Three greataunts had no children and they were quite poor but I have cherished everything. Homemade doilies, aprons, potholders, furniture bright red formica kitchen table and chairs ( which everyone hates except for me). Pretty much everything I own. |
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kydeere40744
True Blue Farmgirl
1132 Posts
Jessica
Kentucky
USA
1132 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 09:15:57 AM
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Back this past March, my great grandma, the last one living, passed away. I was getting married in May and the necklace that I wore was hers. I was fortunate to get her coffee table and end tables passed on to me, as well as some photographs from our past. My grandma has given me one of her rings from when she was 16. I also have a lot of family photographs of the family over the years.
Jessica~Miss Wilma's Niece
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2005 : 3:38:37 PM
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| i have so enjoyed hearing all of your stories .. thanks so much for sharing .. and remember .. to write these stories down for your children and your children's children .. and all other family members too! today is tomorrow's HISTORY! xo |
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Across the Fence: do you have 'heirlooms'? |
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do you have 'heirlooms'?
