Family Heirloom Project

I recently completed a writing/photo project for my two grown boys that you might want to consider for your own family.

It’s no secret that I am getting older. I have quite a few items, large and small that have either been passed down through the family or have special memories. Eventually, my children will inherit these items. I wasn’t confident that they knew the stories behind each of the articles, and I wanted them to know those stories. I also wanted them to understand which of these objects has financial value and which ones are just sentimental.

I began by purchasing two photo albums—one for each of my boys—and filled those albums with pictures of each item that I considered important. I labeled each photo with a number, then created a key for the pictures. In the key, I explained everything I knew about the piece, where it came from, and its significance. I also included family stories where appropriate. 

For Christmas, I gave each of the boys an album along with a notebook filled with the documentation for each picture.

Here are some examples of entries.

#14

Spinning wheel

This hand-made spinning wheel was brought to the United States from Norway by my mother’s, mother’s mother (your great-great grandmother), Mathilde Hansdatter Bangsund. She entered the United States two different times: 1889 and again in 1906. I don’t know for sure which time she brought the spinning wheel. It appears that she was married when she first entered the U.S. but she didn’t stay long, leaving in about a year and leaving her husband behind. Somewhere along the line the two must have been divorced, because when she came to the U.S. the second time, she married the same man again. My mother told me that Mathilde also had a loom that was brought from Norway. In later years, both items were stored in my mother’s mother’s attic.

I don’t know what ever happened to the loom, but since there was no appreciation for antiques for a long time, it probably wound up at the dump.

Apparently, my mother had been told at one time that she could have the spinning wheel. My mother did not always get along with her mother and my grandmother refused to let my mother have the spinning wheel. Alice was very upset by this. One Mother’s Day, to console her, my father bought her a spinning wheel at an antique store. It was a very nice gesture on his part, but it did not fill the void that my mother felt for the original family piece. Eventually Grandma conceded and let Mom take the treasured spinning wheel.

#15

China doll

My mother said that relatives in Norway had purchased this doll to give to her, but never sent it over to the United States; instead, they sent it when I was born. I understand the hair is human. In 1985 I took the doll to a store called My Favorite Dolls in Denver. There I was told that the china doll is an Armand Marsailles #390, made in Germany. At that time, it was worth about $375.

When I was still a child, I remember I picked the doll up and all the limbs fell apart. I was horrified. The bands that hold the limbs together had rotted away. We took all the parts to a doll hospital and they fixed it just like new.

#71

Ice cream maker

This was one of the ice cream makers at the cabin and it has many fond memories.

A couple of us kids would take the row boat over to Walt Bunn’s place and get a block of ice, which we would place in a large metal washtub on the bottom of the boat. The ice was cut out of Hungry Jack Lake every winter (sometimes we helped with the work) and hauled to the ice house that Walt had built into the side of the hill close to the lake. The blocks of ice would be covered with sawdust and they would last all the way through the next summer.

Peaches were in season in August, so my mother would follow the recipe for peach ice cream and pour the liquid into the center metal container, put in place the wooden paddles, then fasten it in the green bucket, with the crank in place. We would use an ice pick to chip away at the ice block until the pieces were just the right size. The chips were placed around the metal container, alternating layers with rock salt. Then we would all take turns turning the crank. It was easy at first when we were mixing the liquid state, but as the ice cream began to freeze, it was harder and harder to turn the crank. Finally, when it was very difficult to turn, the bucket was covered with a towel and allowed to sit.

Dinner that night was always very exciting as we were each given a bowl of the world’s best ice cream.

In exchange for the block of ice, Walt Bunn made sure that we also brought him a bowl of the treat.