Pack away for over 40 years

**imagine** · 01-06-2011, 09:29 AM

My grandparents had the moving van loaded up with all their stuff to move. You know how movers pack every scrap of paper everything in the house. My grandmother died before the moving van arrived. Unable to face the stuff my grandfather had them put it in storage. My father rescued it from being auctioned off from storage. He stored the stuff in our basement.

Fast forward 40 years.
My mom just went through the stuff to sell/give it away.

It was like opening a time capsule. I was able to "met" a Grandmother I never knew (she died before I was born) I saw a picture of her in her college year book. She graduated in the late '20s. Before this the only picture I had seen was the one of her at my parents wedding.

There was a newspaper that headlined the assassination of JFK.
Pictures of when my grandfather worked overseas in Paris and other places. Letters and more letters. A piece of paper with prices of everything Grandmother had bought that month. My father's baby plate and childhood books.

Oh, so much to see. It was amazing!

My mom set aside somethings she thought I needed and wanted.
I came home with my grandmother's college year books and a set of her dishes.

Imagine all that history personal and collective was right under the stairs, under my feet almost my whole life.

**max915** · 01-06-2011, 10:02 AM

That is so cool.....!!!!!!

**Natalie's Nesters** · 01-06-2011, 10:16 AM

What a great trip down memory lane!

**Sassyclass** · 01-06-2011, 10:29 AM

How wonderful, I'm sure you will treasure them for the rest of your life.

Cat

**imagine** · 01-06-2011, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Natalie's Nesters

What a great trip down memory lane!

no memories for me. Just a physical connection to my past.

Learned things I never knew. Like what my grandmother looked like and that my grandfather had lived/worked over seas.

It would have been nice if someone who knew stories about these things was still alive to tell the stories. I just had to let the items, letters, yearbook speak for themselves.

It was amazing.

**imagine** · 01-06-2011, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Sassyclass

How wonderful, I'm sure you will treasure them for the rest of your life.

Cat

Little Miss was very excited/happy to see the yearbook that had a photo of the lady ( her great grandmother ) whose violin now she plays.

**mauimagic** · 01-06-2011, 10:45 AM

A great connection - right under your feet - amazing!! Love that your DD is laying her GGM's violin!!

**Booklover** · 01-06-2011, 10:48 AM

What a wonderful thing to happen! There is nothing better than to actually see and touch the authentic articles. Thank goodness all these things were not seen as "clutter" (the lastest buzzword) and they were kept intact. I just love, love, LOVE family histories!

Just think, what is more precious to you-the actual letters that your grandmother actually wrote and held in her own hands, or or digital scan and copy of the letter?

You are very lucky to have these things. My husband never knew his grandparents at all, and his parents were "throwers", meaning they never thought ahead and threw everything away. Classed everything as "junk". He would give anything to have some little memento to pass on to our children.

The idea of your daughter playing her great-grandmother's violin just makes me tear up!

**imagine** · 01-06-2011, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by mauimagic

A great connection - right under your feet - amazing!! Love that your DD is laying her GGM's violin!!

The violin is around 100 years old. It was sold/made for a local violin shop that is well known although no longer around.

The case still has my grandmother's college pendant sticker stuck on it.

They were destined to be together as the violin plays so beautifully for her. Little Miss has had to play other violins (her grandmother's and the teachers violin) Little Miss just couldn't get the instruments to sing for her like her great grandmother's does.

**imagine** · 01-06-2011, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Booklover

What a wonderful thing to happen! There is nothing better than to actually see and touch the authentic articles. Thank goodness all these things were not seen as "clutter" (the lastest buzzword) and they were kept intact. I just love, love, LOVE family histories!

Just think, what is more precious to you-the actual letters that your grandmother actually wrote and held in her own hands, or or digital scan and copy of the letter?

You are very lucky to have these things. My husband never knew his grandparents at all, and his parents were "throwers", meaning they never thought ahead and threw everything away. Classed everything as "junk". He would give anything to have some little memento to pass on to our children.

The idea of your daughter playing her great-grandmother's violin just makes me tear up!

If you love family histories and the violin made you tears up this will make you cry too.

When I gave birth to my first baby my mother handed down to me a silver baby spoon. It has feed four generations of babies. My great grandmother used this spoon to feed her babies. It is passed down from mother to mother. If my daughter continues this tradition she will be fifth generation to use it to feed her babies and her children will be the fifth generation to eat off it.

**Booklover** · 01-06-2011, 11:16 AM

Awww. Sniff, sniff. I have that warm, huggy feeling right now just reading this. Such a wonderful tradition! Just think of all the babies that spoon has fed!

I'll admit it, I'm a sentimental ole' gal.

**Trishagirl** · 01-06-2011, 11:22 AM

Wow I bet that was a neat experience for you!

**McD** · 01-06-2011, 11:52 AM

How awesome! And I love that Little Miss is playing the family heirloom!

**frugalfriend** · 01-06-2011, 12:44 PM

That is really amazing and wonderful! I'm another sentimental gal, so happy for you!

My mom sat down and wrote her family story which she gave to each of us kids. I love to read about her life growing up and about her parents and her grandparents, and even her great grandparents and where and when everyone was born. She wrote everything she could think of, dates of marriages, births, deaths, funny stories, nicknames, places she lived, about her friends and schools, and pets. Wonderful memories for her to pass on to us and makes me laugh and cry every time I read it. So happy to have it and that I can pass it on to my kids too.

**heartofmine** · 01-06-2011, 05:38 PM

My inlaws kept every little scrap of paper but like yours it was all stored away. My inlaws have all passed away except for 1 sister. My fil passed away in June. We've been going through everything and we are just amazed. My kids have seen pictures of family they never knew about. Notes and letters from family. Info about there grandfather when he was in Germany where he was stationed. Info about their great uncle that died in the war. Their grandfather's Bibles. Its been a history lesson for them. My husband honestly doesn't think that much about it but both my kids have loved it. I love it for my kids.