The Fearless Female prompts were created and posted at The Accidental Genealogist
I’m trying to catch up and I know not all prompts will apply! So I’m on the 6 March prompt: Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)
My great-grandmother, Erma (Almy) Witherell died when I was 14. As per usual when someone passes, there was a great many things to go through, especially since my great-grandfather had died 2 years before her (we often say she died of a broken heart). I have vague memories of being at my grandparents home (they had a duplex which they shared with my great-grandparents) and there being a lot of items. Many items were saved, I believe, as some were passed on to me as the family historian.
My sister and I were allowed to choose one piece of jewelry from my great-grandmother’s collection at one point as well. I don’t remember what my sister chose, but I still have mine:
I have no idea when my great-grandmother bought it, if it’s old, or even if it’s valuable. I am not much of a jewelry person in that regard. Nonetheless, I do love this necklace and still wear it to this day. It’s valuable to me because of who owned it before me and the memories I have of her.
Funny enough, when my grandmother died, I was also allowed something of hers so I choose her hope chest (which is FILLED with all the family photos from her side and my grandpa’s) and a small jewelry armoire. My grandpa chuckled at that, mentioning he remembered buying that for her one Christmas. Again, nothing special as he probably purchased it at some random store (like Target or something), but to me it’s special because of who had it before me. Grandma did have a lot of jewelry (both women were quite stylish) so it reminds me of her every time I see it, even though I do not own a lot of jewelry. What I do own is in there but it’s mostly full of old paraphernalia of mine – photos, old driver’s licenses, old university IDs, journals, etc. etc.
The value in these items is purely sentimental but that is what an heirloom is about! Do you have any heirlooms that have been passed down in your family?
