Instead of flying home from the Haven Conference, I had to fly directly to Richmond, VA, to help my mom clean out my Opa’s house. (Opa means grandpa in German, for those who don’t know…) He passed away a few years ago, but his wife has been living in the home until recently. The time has now come to clean out the house and put it on the market. Fortunately, we had already cleaned out the attic and things have been thinned out over the years, so it wasn’t too big of a job.
This house is special to me. My Opa, who was a builder, custom built this house about 25 years ago. In addition, he built half of the houses in Petersburg from the 1950’s – 1980’s.
My dad was in the Army, so I never lived anywhere longer than 4 years as I was growing up. This home was always my home base. It’s where we spent most summers and where I lived for a few months when I graduated from college. Whenever someone asks where I’m from, the long answer is, “Well, my dad was in the military, so we moved a lot, but my family is from Petersburg, VA. That’s sort of my home.”
This house is more than a house to me. It’s filled with memories.
I don’t just see a kitchen. I see the custom cabinets my Opa designed and made. I remember hanging out in the cabinet shop, playing with the adding machine and drawing out house plans on graph paper. I see my Oma bent over the oven, stirring her famous nuts & bolts (sort of a chex mix.) I see my Opa at the dining table, cleaning fish we caught that day at Belches Mill Pond.
Now the cookbooks are all cleared out and it’s staged to sell.
I don’t just see a family room. I see the dentil molding my Opa cut by hand. I remember sitting around in a hot house because it’s 2 degrees cooler outside than inside, so we have to shut off the A/C, open all of the windows, and turn on the fans. I remember watching cable TV for the first time, cheering for Jennifer Capriati in Wimbledon, and taking sips of champagne on New Year’s Eve.
(Isn’t the color on the walls beautiful? It’s Quiet Moments by Benjamin Moore.)
The dining room is so much more than that. The chandelier is from my great-grandmother’s house. It was originally gas, but my Opa had it wired for electricity and designed the dining room around it. I see the “widows & orphans” Thanksgiving dinners, the cocktail parties and my Oma polishing her silver.
One of these decanters was a wedding gift to my great-great-grandfather, William Ransom Johnson, by the Robert E Lee. Unfortunately, we don’t know which one, so we need to have a specialist look at them to see if we can figure out which one or at least narrow it down.
We did find some really cool things while cleaning out the remaining furniture, including my great-grandfather’s desk…
…like a photo album with pictures of Jimmy Dorsey and Helen O’Connell, who were, like, way famous back then.
…my Opa’s WWII dog tags and an autograph book my Oma had signed by her school friends.
I managed to hold my emotions together most of the two days we worked on cleaning out the house, but I fell apart when we found my Opa’s wallet. I could see him leaning on one hip to pull out his wallet, handing me a ten and telling me to go get some King’s Bar-b-que. I had to take a few minutes to get it together. I love all of my grandparent’s but I always felt closest to my Opa. We would sit on his back porch, watching the birds and squirrels, singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” together, seeing who could hold the last “I” the longest.
He was a great man and I love and miss him. My first son was even named after him.
So, I pulled away yesterday evening, knowing that was probably the last time I would see that house and it was like saying goodbye to home.
PS – My great uncle may be taking the chandelier, but it is very heavy and has to be specially removed. It also cannot be hung without reinforcing the ceiling joists, so it’s not like you can hang it anywhere. We’re fine, though, with leaving it as a part of the history of the house. It seems fitting for it to stay in the house my Opa built.
163 Responses
Sweet memories. I hope you’re saving your Opa & Oma’s nameplate from the door and the lovely chandelier. They’re just too priceless.
Hope someone from the family is taking the chandelier, it has too much family history to be left behind. It is a very sad day when you have to say good bye to memories, I am doing that with my mother’s house right now.
What a beautiful, moving tribute. It brought tears to my eyes and laughter also! So many of us have stirring memories of our grandparents and their homes. It is our safe place for many of us. Now that I am a grandmother, I hope I invoke a few of these same memories for my grandchildren. Thanks for the memories! Jean from South Jersey….
Thank God that good memories are something that we never leave. That is a beautiful home and it is wonderful that you will always have such beautiful memories.
What a beautiful home and what beautiful memories. I hope that chandelier stays in the family-a small token of the house that was home.
you are making a pregnant woman cry. My mom’s daddy (Papaw Dishner) was that man for me. Precious Memories!!!
Oh Marian, I have tears in my eyes reading about your special home – they brought back a lot of memories with my grandparents. I know it had to be a difficult time for you. Those are such fantastic memories to have and you’ll always have those. {{{HUGS}}} dear one and thank you for sharing those very personal memories with us.
I agree, I hope your saving the chandelier especially! It would be so worth it to pull it down and replace with a suitable replacement. I’m sure the time was full of emotion!
I have been there and done that with my paternal grandparents home. It is where my cousins and I spent countless summer vacations and winter breaks. All 7 of us at once. My grandmother taught me so much on making a lovely home when I was a new bride with little money. She taught me to reupholster furniture on a vintage industrial Singer tailoring machine and that it is possible to keep a clean house while it is full of kids, she was the Queen of DIY. She built houses, repaired plumbing, and could cook up a banquet with the simplest of ingredients on her old Wedgewood stove (I brought that stove home with me as well as the sewing machine) . It is hard to turn loose of a place that seems to be an anchor for your soul. A haven to return to when life overwhelms. So I can relate, entirely.
Oh my, I can’t even tell you how much I can relate to this post right now. Life is bittersweet, isn’t it? As I go through my grandmother’s house in this exact same manner, I keep jumping back and forth between seeing all the beauty and nostalgia in the memories that come flooding back and feeling like I just got punched in the gut. Again.
Your Opa’s house is beautiful, but the memories and stories you shared are even more so.
I loved that you shared this with us. Your love for you grandfather was special as it should have been and your story caused me to reminisce awhile over my own very special grandparents who have long since passed and I dearly miss! Hugs to you!
What a beautiful tribute to your grandfather. Thank you for sharing your memories and how amazing your grandparents were.
What wonderful memories for you! Don’t forget to pass them on to your next generation. 🙂
Please tell me that you took the chandelier! So beautiful!!! I had somewhat the same experience as we cleaned out my parents home. Daddy built it and we moved in when I was 5mths. old, never knew another home till I married and moved to the home my husband and I still live in after 43 years!
I agree with everyone else, please keep the chandelier in the family. It is absolutely gorgeous and will make more memories within your family.
Oh, this just made me tear up. I grew up with a dad in the military also and have almost the same response as you, except for both my parents are from Maine. I spend almost every summer at my grandparents and loved it. I went back this summer for the first time in 20 years (my grandfather turned 80) and was so looking forward to showing my girls all the things I loved about their house. Sadly, my grandmother has sold most of their items in yard sales because she thought it was junk. Even down to the awesome hula girl my grandfather got in Hawaii back in the 70’s. But although the items are gone, the memories are still there! (And I agree with the others, snag that chandelier!)
I totally admit to bursting into tears… as I remember my grandmother who had a small farm… her house is still there and the farm is still in the family…. when I visit the farm… and walk thru the house… I remember my grandmother singing at the kitchen sink as she looked out over her small farm… and how much she loved her dairy cows!!! lol… I remember the huge dining table loaded down with vegetables and fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy and lots of SWEET TEA for the “Farm Hands” to have a good lunch!!!!! 🙂 Our memories, our heritage…. soooo precious!!! Thank you for sharing your memories and these beautiful photos……. hope some of the beautiful things will be going home with you after the house is sold!!!! Love the chandelier!!! Terri
I love that you shared something so close and personal to you. The home is beautiful and I know how hard it must be knowing it will be sold. What craftsmanship and what an amazing Opa. Memories are the one thing we can hold onto forever and it looks like you have some great photos that you will cherish of the home. When my parents passed away they left me their 1920 farmhouse in Illinois, that was built by my great grandfather. My husband and I spent 4 years of our summers cleaning out 50 years of my parents personal things and then remodeling it, so it would be a place we could visit and spend time in. I know one day I will have to let it go and not sure how I’ll do that but for now, it’s a place of peace, comfort and lots of great memories.
Beautiful home thanks for sharing with us. Kim
I love you friend, feeling your heart in your words written.
big hugs and bigger prayers, p
**keep the light fixture please
Now I’m all choked up! I had that kind of Opa too. What a beautiful home, full of beautiful memories.
Sweet post. It is wonderful to have such great memories and tough to walk your last walk through that home. I too was raised on “Nuts & Bolts” during the holidays. This is the first time outside my family that I have heard party mix called that.
Beautiful home. Thank you for sharing.
I know the feeling – Had to say good-bye to my Childhood home years ago – My parents have both passed (way too early)–I would definitely keep that chandelier!!!
I think it is unanimous that the dining room light stays in the family and of course those decanters! xox
How sad. :'( {hugs}
I totally agree on the nameplate and chandelier…take the things that have meaning to you out of the house. Nobody else will value them and when replaced with something new and appropriate they will never be missed by a potential buyer. I so regret things I left at my previous home, things I Ioved that I felt had to stay with the house to make it just right. Turns out they got torn out and trashed when extensive remodeling was done.
What a lovely home our Opa created, thank you for sharing it with us!
If a family member could buy this home, it would be awesome. Probably impossible but you never know. The house has so much great detail.
What a sweet story. Thank you for sharing with all of us.
I hope you keep the chandelier. It would be a shame to lose a family heirloom like that. I helped my Dad clean out my Grandparent’s home after my Grandma passed and my Grandpa could no longer live alone and found tucked away in the barn my Grandma’s old 1930’s (I’m guessing the era) velvet flappers hat that she wore on her honeymoon that says Union Made inside. Too priceless not to keep. 🙂
Hold on to those precious memories. They are worth more than any thing or structure although saying goodbye is never easy. Sending you good thoughts.
Thank-you for sharing such a special part of your life with us. I agree with the others on the nameplate and chandelier, I hope they stay in the family. Hugs
Beautiful home. Is it possible for you to buy the chandelier and keep it in the family?
This brought tears to my eyes. And brought back memories of my grandpa also. Thank you for sharing.
Yes. Yes. YES. The chandelier and the nameplate on the front door MUST be written into the real estate listing as NOT being conveyed to the buyer…they are family keepsakes. And I assume all the decanters, china and crystal are family keepsakes and do not convey as well. I would be a little nervous showing a house with something as valuable as the decanter sitting there unattached. I have heard horror stories about lovely items being stolen when used for staging.Well, you have obviously given this some thought so God bless you, my dear.
I know how you feel. My grandparents’ home was so special to me. They were very strong Christians and I actually lost sleep just thinking about godless people in their home, carrying on in profane ways or whatever. Their home was a sacred space to me but eventually I got over it and realized that our home is in Heaven, we are just a-passing through…
You have a beautiful heart. Thank you for sharing with all of us. The selling of a childhood home is full of life – sadness and sweetness stirred together with love.
We are told that in His Father’s house are many mansions and I believe that if there really are mansions to move into when we get into Heaven, the ones we choose will be the ones where we created the happiest memories. For me it was the house overlooking the ocean on the Esplanade in California where I spent the summers with my Gram, and for you, it’s a house that Opa built. I hope you find peace in your memories and comfort in the promise that families are forever. I hope our mansions share the same zip code up there… I would love to peek in your windows!
XOXO
G
Queen Creek, AZ
What a beautiful reminder. I lost my grandfather on Sunday and this brought a smile to my face. Thank you.
Oh, you’re making me cry at work! What a beautiful story. And the house is gorgeous!
Oh, Marian. When you said you were headed to VA to take care of “family business”, I had no idea. I know it was hard… I have been there too! My “home” where my great-grandmother lived and where my mom was raised is on the market as part of a land sale. The house is old and falling apart. I am in the process of seeing how to have the home torn down and removed so that I can use the wood to build furniture for my home. It is inevitable that the house will be torn down. It is vandalized far beyond repair. I just hope I am able to keep a part of that special home! *Hugs*
I just lost my grandfather this past Sunday and cried through this whole post. Such treasured memories and it took me back thinking of my own with my grandparents. They are such special and important people in our lives.
Ray Ray…I hope you find peace with the passing of your grandfather. Losing someone so close is very difficult. Take time to mourn and remember him. God bless you and comfort you in your time of sorrow. Kathryn
Beautiful home and lovely memories. Thanks for sharing.
What lovely memories you have!
I recommend you take the chandelier. The next people, and the ones after that, may not want it, as odd as it seems. It’s quite spectacular, especially the crystals. I bet it would sell for at least $3000.
What wonderful memories! Thank you for sharing your Opa’s house, and the importance of those experiences in shaping you. I never had the opportunity to know my grandparents, so this gave me the opportunity to experience it through your eyes!
Oh dear that is sooo hard. I have to say as I looked through those beautiful photos ooh that’s her (you) all over the place. Your grandfather left you a legacy through his style his work and what better gift is there than carrying on family that way. Your a lucky gal!
Thank you for walking us through parts of Opa and Oma’s home and sharing your memories and feelings. These feelings not only transcend this life but are universal; that’s why we all shed a tear or two and reminisced about our own “home” base as you shared your story. My daughters and I completed the final clean out of my parents home after their demise and in preparation for its sale. When we finished (after many weeks of very hard work), we stood in the one room where we had lived for two years after we fled for safety (a story not to be shared here) and put our arms around one another and cried. We couldn’t bear to leave! We each knew we’d never be in the home again. When we were able to walk out the door and lock it behind us, we were silent; nursing our own thoughts. And on the way to the car, I found an incredible gift. A small red plastic heart had fallen to the ground and was resting on the driveway. I picked it up and bawled! I have kept that little toy heart in my car since and believe it was a token of love meant just for me. Whooda thought such a small, insignificant thing could mean so much. Carry on Marian. Be strong and of good courage. Kathryn in So Cal
This was so moving. 🙂 I can relate too when my mother-in-law passed away and we thought the house would be sold out of the family but fortunately one of my sister-in-laws couldn’t bear letting the home go so she bought it. Not only did she buy it she basically left it the same. So, now the family can still go home. We can walk out the path that connects our property to hers. It truly is a blessing. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your memories with us. 🙂
This story resonates so much with me. My grandfather was also a carpenter and builder (in Virginia, even!), and he and my dad built the house I grew up in and still live in today. I’m a newlywed, and I know my husband doesn’t want to live in this house forever, but it will be so, so hard to leave behind all those lovingly created pieces, big and small.
Like your Opa was to you, my Granddaddy Jack was my very favorite person in the entire world. It’s been nine years, and I miss him every single day.
That’s a BEAUTIFUL house, Marian! Hope the new owners will appreciate it. If it was me, I would probably not change anything apart from the wallpaper in the dining room. 🙂
What a wonderful tribute to your grandparents. I enjoyed reading every word.
Oh, what a lovely tribute to your sweet Opa! I only had one grandfather as the other one died before I was born. He was such a sweet, kind loving man and I miss him a lot, especially on those days when I stand at the sink doing dishes. Many years ago, we did not have a dishwasher….during the time I was growing up. I was the oldest and I was the babysitter for my younger siblings. As a teenager, there were times when I wanted to go to a movie or a game with my friends and my grandfather would either walk across town ( a long way) or take a bus and come to take over for me. He would say, don’t do the dishes honey I will do them for you. I can still see him standing at the sink doing those dishes for me! After I graduated, I drove over to his house to pick up something and he was sitting on the front porch. He said..oh, come and sit with me for a bit. My answer? Oh, gramps I have to go somewhere, but I will see you soon. I did get to see him soon…when we got a call to come to the hospital as he had passed away. Do I have regrets? oh, yes I do….and that was over 50 years ago. Grandparents are so precious. You brought out the tears with your lovely post, Marian. Nice to bring up those memories tho…thanks! Diane
*Gulps* That wallet made me teary. Your Opa sounds like such a wonderful man.
Please don’t include that chandelier with the house unless the new owner to be insists it be included in the sale. It is absolutely gorgeous and deserves to be appreciated. ((HUGS)) Vanna
Lordy, Marion you had me all teary with this post thanks for sharing it makes you all real and not just someone who loves to decorate that we all crush on and frankly some of us gals don’t have all that wonderful family and family history so we,_ live vicariously thru you it was great to get to see ur boys all growing up and shopping at khol’ s now all this sweetness bout ur Opa thanks YOUR STILL THE BOMB
Wow what a beautiful post and amazing home!! Sounds like Opa was a wonderful sweet man!! My mom and dad are opa and oma to and now I am an oma:)
Hi Marian…what a lovely tribute to your Opa and Oma. The home looks lovely and warm…ready for another family to make memories in. Love the blue colors…gee – what a surprise! Ha!
I remember helping to fix up my family home for sale after my father died. I had those same feelings – of loss but gain, for having had the beautiful experiences that you keep with you forever. We do get attached to our homes – they are apart of us.
Beautiful post…thanks for this. loved it!
Linda
I think I remember Kings. My great gramma lived in Hopewell. Lots of memories of playing in the cornfields and running up and down the dirt roads. Not to forget checking out the chicken coop in our bare feet 😉
Great gramma was a Christian, like my gramma, so we can’t wait to all be together again when God calls us home!!
OOH Marian,
I had to take a weeping break after reading before being able to comment.
I love the heritage your darling OPA left you…all the memories, tangible, touchable, viewable reminders of the love you shared. He also left you in your very dna TALENT,
creative giftings. I love that he, like his granddaughter, did everything with EXCELLENCE.
How blessed is that?
God bless your children, the GREAT GRANDSONS of this wonderful OPA.
What a lovely post and lovely home! Tears came to my eyes reading this as I remember my grandparents and the places they lived. My father( a carpenter) died over 20 years ago, but my mother and her husband now, live in the house my father built 50 plus years ago. I know all the memories will rush back when my mother is unable to live there any longer(she’s 91) and we must part with this very special place that I’ve known as home for over 55 years.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
Hi Marion,
I just went through the same process but it was for my dad who passed away in Feb. at the age of 99. He was a quiet gentle man and I miss him so much. My siblings and I went through the house and sorted through many years of memories…some things I was not even aware of their existence. I had never seen my mother’s wedding dress except in pictures and we uncovered more than 70 years of correspondence from family and friends long past. It was bittersweet and I am still having a hard time getting used to the fact that I will never hear his voice again. It breaks my heart but I am so fortunate to have had him for as long as I did and I know he and my dear mom are together again.
Thank you for posting this with such tender care.
Lin
I felt very same about my grandmother’s house here in Pennsylvania. I was an Army brat though born in PA because my mother refused to have me in an Army hospital. (By baby number 3 she got over that!) I spent summers with my grandmother as I was growing up if we were stateside. She truly is the dearest and best person I have ever known. I was fortunate to have had her for 50 years of my life. To this very day (11 years later), I cannot drive anywhere near her house because I always cry so hard.
My goal is to be the kind of grandmother to my grandchildren that she was to me. Grandparents are a wonderful gift.
Marian,
Such bitter sweet memories for you. As with all your other readers I hope the chandelier, door nameplate and decanters will stay with you or with the family. My Dad built the house we all grew up in. 3 bedrooms and 6 kids with no AC… but we didn’t complain because it was like everyone else back then. It makes me a little sad for the next generation because they won’t know what it is like to work for what you have and work to better your place in life. It sounds like it was a hard couple days for you. My Dad wore a religious medal around his neck all his life and I have it now plus a diary that belonged to his father who came to America thru Ellis Island. It was so sweet of you to share your thoughts and memories. It always helps to talk about these things and it will be another sad day when someone buys that house. As with my parents house I was glad to know that a young man bought it who I knew would take care of it. I hope that happens for your family too. Letting it go is hard enough but a buyer who will value it makes it a little less painful. Thanks for the lovely story!!!
Marian:
Such a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing. I know this wasn’t an easy journey but I hope it gave you some peace being “home”. It made me think back on my own life. Like you, I have a special grandparent. Not everyone can say this. I have many people in my life who had no relationship with their grandparents. You and I are some of the lucky ones. My mom’s mom was the best person in my life. She helped take care of my sister and I when we were toddlers and our mom got cancer. Mom survived and we got many happy years with her and gram. Then I lost my mom about 9 years ago and Gram went downhill after that fairly quick. It was harder for me to see my gram that way even though I had experienced it with my mom. Gram passed 3 years ago and not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. I actually just had a mass said for her this past Saturday. She would have been 92 this month. Some grandparents just hold that special bond with us. I was lucky my grandmother didn’t live far from us and the stubborn Italian women would walk to us all the time. I got to speak about her at her funeral. It was the proudest moment of my life. I spoke about this women who came to the U.S. on a boat from Italy and worked and saved and sent money to Italy to bring her husband and three children over. After they arrived here she continued to work and had three more children. She raised 6 children and helped raise 13 grandkids. We all got to be close enough to our grandmother but I got the best out of her. I spent many years with her tending to her garden, pickling tomatoes, making gravy and just being with her. Out of 13 grandchildren I was the luckiest. She was my best friend. She didn’t speak much English and I didn’t speak Italian but yet we could talk for hours. So when you saw that wallet and described it I knew how you felt. There is just something about a grandparent that makes everything okay. I ended up with a lot of my gram’s treasures. Most of them she gave me while I was still in high school. I’d go there after school and hang out with her and she’d already have her treasures packed for me. She’d tell me that I had to have them because I was the only one who would go see her. My husband wonders why I have boxes filled with items that say Gram. (He’s one of those people that didn’t have a close grandparent.) I’d never part with one. I dream of the day that I can have a big home to display her treasures. None have monetary value, most aren’t even attractive but it’s where they come from that matter. They came from the heart of a women who adored me and who I adored and respected. So like you, when I see those boxes I see her just like you say your Opa standing with his wallet. I’m not sure if you realize this yet (hopefully you do) but I think you going “home” was probably the best vacation you could have taken. Just to be in that house again brings all that love into your heart. I sometimes drive by my gram’s house. It makes me smile. I’d like to think she is who made me who I am now. I bet you get a lot of your traits from your Opa. Your Opa built a beautiful home and I have enjoyed looking at yours and reading your book and I know that some of that had to have come from your Opa. Again, thanks for sharing your wonderful memories.
Ps. the gold mirror behind the decanters…..is anyone taking that? I think you should! It’s gorgeous!!
Thanks so much for sharing your story. Yes, I love that gold mirror and always have, but my great uncle staked a claim on it. 🙁
Oh Marian I feel for you! My father passed away 10 years ago and I moving my mother to a care center tomorrow. I will have the task of sorting their home and all of the memories in the coming weeks.
One of the greatest gifts we can have is memories. Even your family who were at the same gatherings over the years that you were, do not have the same memories you do of the event. These pictures in your mind are yours alone – like an old classic movie playing over and over, just for you.
It is nice to see that you understand the best gift your Opa ever gave you are the opportunities and memories made just with you. He will continue to brighten your days as those memories replay and your heart will warm just thinking of him. You are blessed.
Such a touching story! We all have sweet memories of our grandparents but you express them so well!
Thanks for sharing your Opa & Oma’s beautiful home and your treasured memories. This time marching on thing is so hard. Sometimes we just want to press the hold button and hang on to these moments. [hugs] to you Marian. And it’s okay to let the tears flow. Mine did as I read the words that flowed from your tender heart.
sniff, sniff. How beautiful – must remember that I am always leaving a legacy, and how I want to leave a love-grace-filled, godly one. Blessings, Marian…
When my grandpa, Otto, went into the hospital, he didn’t come out again. All we got was the old sweater he had on and the worn change purse that had been in the sweater pocket. Twenty years later, and I still tear up when I think about how lost I felt holding his change purse in my hand.
I think all of us that had wonderful grandparents unconsciously or consciously rebuild their homes over and over in the places we spend our lives. I know that no matter where I live or what I plan, my kitchen turns into Grandma’s. Clara and Otto’s home recently resold and for the last time. The farmhouse is to be torn down and in a moment of impulsive hopefulness, I called up the builder who purchased the property. I asked him if I could have my grandma’s 1940’s white steel cabinets and he said “YES!” I really am going to get Grandma’s kitchen, at last!
If your uncle does get to take the chandelier, it may go to one of his children, but it won’t matter in the long run. No one can ever take your memories away.
Ernest Hemingway said that Paris was a moveable feast. So is the memory of our dearest home place.
My dad was Air Force, so my answer was the same as yours, just substitute Texas. We never went on any “real” vacations, any time off was to visit family. I feel the same way about my grandparents’ house. We made forts in the trees, watched the squirrels chase each other, counted the shoes in my grandmother’s china shoe collection. It was definitely my home.
Marian, your post reminds me of Miranda Lambert’s song, “The House That Built Me”, which I love. My maternal grandmother was my special one, and her house was special to me. It was abandoned long ago, and it pains me to drive past there now. But, I have great memories.:)
I loved reading your post. So many lovely memories. Love the vignette using your great-grandfather’s desk with the WWII dog tags, vintage photo album, & autograph book.
The gorgeous dining room chandelier is a special family piece. If your Uncle likes the style & because it has such evocative memories, he should remove it to use in his own home (or save for a family member – hang from a hook in the basement) & just replace it with a chandelier from a home improvement store. It would be a shame for it to end up in an antique or salvage shop – while some stranger might appreciate its beauty, they won’t appreciate or be connected to the family history!
Also, if you had a “guess which one of these decanters was a wedding gift to my great-great-grandfather, William Ransom Johnson, by THE Robert E Lee” contest, I’d guess either the right front or rear left (though hard to tell in that photo & without holding them). Would love to know what you find out in a future post.
Your family lived with some beautiful things – complete with provenance. Keep them, please! If you can’t use the chandelier now, you can certainly create a place for it in a future home. How grand to eat special family meals under the glow of something that carries such wonderful family memories. It’s a way to spark conversations about your childhood and your love for your grandparents. Not only will it help your children feel a connection to their great grandparents, but it will help them learn to cherish the family history and pass it along to their children… As for the Robt. E. Lee decanter…I’m seeing a trip to Antiques Road Show!!!
I love this piece. I’ve seen it attributed to Emily Dickenson and someone by the name of Colleen Hitchcock, so I’m not sure who wrote it. I started to send it to you instead of posting it here, but I thought maybe others might take something from it. It really comforts me.
ASCENSION
And if I go while you’re still here…
Know that I still live on,
Vibrating to a different measure
behind a thin veil you cannot see through.
You will not see me,
so you must have faith.
I wait the time when we can soar together again,
both aware of each other.
Until then, live your life to the fullest.
And when you need me,
just whisper my name in your heart,
….I will be there.
Sounds to me like you took your love of “home and hearth” from them. If they are indeed watching I can only imagine how proud you must make them.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks for sharing your sweet story…brings back wonderful memories of my own sweet grandparents. We are lucky girls to have experienced such a happy life!!!
I meant to mention…I have a friend who’s fondest memories of her grandfather include him driving up in his big ole car that he loved. When he passed, she took the hood ornament and has it to this day.
I can see the origins of your style in that home–what a sweet tribute to your grandfather.
Hi,
Know all those feelings well! I’m also an army brat and for us home base was always my Mom’s home town (about 40 minutes from where I live now). Spent all my summers there on my Aunt (my Mom’s sister) and Uncle’s farm up until I was 14 and started babysitting during the summers to earn some pocket money.
The old farm house is still there and a cousin tore the place apart and made it very modern inside. I’ve only been in it once since she finished it. In a way it made it easier to get over but I have some great memories of all of us getting together for huge family meals.
Your Opa and Oma’s home is beautiful and if I lived closer I would be sorely tempted. My problem is I can no longer do stairs very well. I could still stand in those beautiful rooms and dream.
It’s hard. I know I’m getting older and my head knows everyone else is getting older as well but this good, ol’ heart of mine wants time to stand still. I lost both my Mom and sister within 4 months of each other five years ago and now my Dad is 83. Once he’s gone that’s basically it for me as far as family is concerned. I’m full of “what ifs”.
All the best to you, Marion, I certainly know what the tears were for.
Cathy
It’s a lovely home, full of wonderful memories but it distresses me to think someone will paint those incredible kitchen cabinets white.
Marian,
My apologies for not spelling your name correctly.
Cathy
That was such a lovely tribute to your grandfather (I am tearing up a little) because it made me remember my own beloved grandfather. The house is lovely and a new family will carry on with making more memories. Thanks!
Hard to write and even harder to say goodbye. Things and places really hold memories for us. I did chuckle at the end when you added in the post script about the chandelier. I thought after all your Chandy posts you would inherit your Opa’s and we would get to see a new dining set to show off the new chandelier. 🙂
You can see his eye for detail, quality and craft. The way he cherished family history and vintage items clearly resonates with you and in your blog. Think of his spirit of the impetus that influences all of us in this meeting place of The Mustard Seed.
Lovely story and beautiful home indeed. Do you happen to know the color of the blue trim in what looks to be the dining room?
Aaa wwww…glad you had a great opa in your life..I was blessed with one also! Treasure your memories…
A poignant post today. Many of us are going through, or have gone through similar experiences with our parents and grandparents, especially a beloved one.
I am letting my mom use a favorite antique ceiling light from my husband’s and my first house that we ever bought. If and when we have to make different arrangements for her, I will take it down and re-use it since no one else will have the memories attached to it as we do.
Your writing brought a lot of tears rolling down my face as I thought of lots of cherished memories of my favorite grama.
Blessings to you.
Thanks so much for sharing the beautiful house and your gorgeous sentiments. I never had grandparents, and I always wondered what it could have been like… and now I know! I am sure your passion for design was fostered by your grandfather; with that, you will never be without him.
The world would be a better place if we all had a “home base” that warm, lovely. safe and inviting.
On another subject, I was just on Facebook and a store, Patina, announced 3 new Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint colors they are carrying along with white wax. I jumped over to your milk paint page to take a look at the colors and,……, NOTHING! I remember you giving us a sneak peak of a lavender paint. All I can say is, HUH?
Such a heartfelt post Marian. I understand where you are right now and how difficult it is. My husband and I moved where we live now to help care for my grandparents. My grandmother ended up being moved to a secure facility when her dementia got worse but my grandfather wanted to stay in the home that she designed and he built. Every board, every paint color, every piece of that house has my grandparents touch. When he passed away – the family needed to sell the house to pay for my grandmothers care. It was difficult to clean it out and say goodbye to what felt like part of our family. We spent Easters & Thanksgivings, Summer visits and I even lived with them several times when I was a teenager. It truly was an amazing home filled with so many memories. The chandelier is beautiful~ especially in a room like the dining room where so many meals were shared together. Sending you a big virtual hug.
My 85 yr old mother died last summer from the ravishes of Alzheimer’s. The neighborhood where I lived most of my life (although I was born in Petersburg) is in decline and most of the older homes are being torn down and new ones built. That was the only choice we had. How sad to lose your mom and the many memories of your childhood at the same time!
I’m sorry that you have to go through this. It’s so hard to miss someone who loved you so.
what a truly lovely home. my dad was also military and my grandparents home had the same meaning for me. it is sad to let go 🙁 . my brother went back once after it sold but i never could/would. it is obvious you inherited many of opa’s genes!
Beautiful memories. Because of those memories he is wedged deep in your heart and will always be there. Couldn’t read that with a dry eye. It brought up memories of my own grandpa and summers spent with him. Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful Memories, beautiful story!
What a lovely home and wonderful memories. I too know the heart ache of saying goodbye to a home. I was born not knowing any grandparents as they had all passed before i was born. Both my parents had passed by the time I was 30. My sister and I shut the door on their beach home for the last time 18 years ago. The one thing I’ve learned about homes and other material things close to my heart is even though they are no longer mine nobody can take away my memories of them.
Thanks for sharing your memories of your grandparents while reading or hearing stories such as this I get such a wam feeling in my heart it’s as if I had grandparents too!
XXOO
K
What a sweet story! Thanks for sharing.
I’d be crying as I drove away! A lovely home with so many memories. I hope you took the name plate with you !
My mom was a Johnson, too. Maybe we’re long lost cousins. (grin) They’re in Minnesota though.
Thanks for sharing your sweet memories. My sisters and I said good bye to the home that my Dad built in Mobile, Alabama, and in which we all grew up. It hurts to say good bye, but at least we have some wonderful memories!
Marian,
What a moving post! I am one of your most avid fans and followers, I read your blog daily, but this is the first time I have felt moved to post a message. You are exceptionally talented and from this post about your grandparent’s home, it is clear to me that your artistic talent and sensibilities are inherited. You may have to do the hard work of letting go of the past, of the reminders and the “things”, but what you can access forever, as a touchstone, is the common ground your grandparents left with you and the talent and the “can do attitude”, the quality standards that have taken you to where you are today in your business.
I truly believe those qualities I just listed are inherited…reinforced by contact and experience for sure, but I see this in my own life, even where contact and influence were limited. I inherited letters that my father’s father wrote to my parents…a grandfather who I barely knew because he died when I was ten. He had less than an 8th grade education but was an eloquent and fluent writer. Despite his limited education, but because of his WWI war experience and personal ethics he was an avid advocate for veterans affairs and spent most of his working life in that field. I spent most of my career in government and moved afterward to nonprofit work…always working for the greater good. I am making my living now as a grant writer…totally writing for a living. You may have left your grandparent’s house that day with sadness but you also left with the best gifts that they could have ever given you : their skills, their talents, their knowledge, their dreams and their standards. Celebrate that and keep doing what you are doing, in part, as a tribute to that legacy.
Oh, by the way…add my name to the list of “Moms who worry I do too much”….’cause I do too.
Best wishes,
Karanne
Karanne, your post is profound and so well-written. It came at the perfect time for me. Thank you so much.
What wonderful memories.
Not only is that a beautiful home filled with beautiful things, it is obviously abundantly overflowing with lovely memories. Life, and its circle, is so seemingly cruel when it leaves us with empty shells of what used to be. But I have faith that you will bring memories to your descendants that are just as touching as the ones you cherish from your Opa. And that is the redeeming part of the circle of life.
They’re not even my family, but I had to pull myself together after reading your post. What sweet, sweet memories. I hope the house goes to a very special family who can appreciate it’s beauty and all the joy it has witnessed.
I’m glad someone in your family is taking that wonderful chandelier!
What a beautiful story and a beautiful house. You are so lucky to have the memories you have of your grandparents. Everyone has said everything I would have said about your wonderful, heartfelt post except I disagree with leaving the chandelier there. It has such wonderful memories, and is priceless for that reason. Someone will come in there and decide they want to modernize the house by making it an “open concept” kitchen and dining room. They will tear down the dining room wall and change out the chandiler for something more modern, ie something from Lowes or Home Depot and that beautiful crystal beauty will be given to Goodwill or worse. My sister and I were faced with a similar dilemma last winter. We got on a ladder, took lots of pictures, and took all the crystals off the vintage chandelier. Then we (yes two girls with no electrical experience) turned off the power, and took the shell of the light down. We shipped the shell via ups, and we both carried the crystals in a carry on , on our flight home. Please, please have one of your relatives do that. It was easy, it’s a piece of history some daughter, or son, or niece, or you will appreciate some day. Now I understand it is in your genes to be so creative and tasteful. You come from good “stock.”
Wow Marian, what a beautiful story… and what a special house. How precious that you can carry such wonderful memories with you always. As for the things (chandelier) left behind: if it is so special to your family, I would really encourage you to keep it in the family and not in the house, unless the house stays in the family too! My dad told me that my Opa and Oma in Holland once moved to a different farm and left ‘all the old stuff’ behind, which the new owners could sell for a lot of money or throw away (you won’t believe this: my Oma even left photo albums behind…). For my dad this was a tragedy! Anyway, you and your family will make the decision that’s right for your family I’m sure. I do wish you lots of strength to cope with the letting go of such a special place and time in your life.
I completely understand how you are feeling! Today my mother in law spent her first day in her new nursing home room; it was sad to leave her there especially when she kept saying “when can I go home.” But knowing that was the best place for her; she could be safe and monitored 24/7. She has lung cancer and may never be able to go back to her house. As we stopped by her home to get a clock for her, the house seemed so empty; as with your Opa’s house, this house also holds many memories, over 35 years for me and my children and I can’t even imagine not being able to continue to make more memories in it. But life comes in stages for us all; and I have to remind myself that this earth is just our temporary home and that we have so much more to look forward to; thinking of you, take care.
Thanks for the warm hearted story. Although I was an air force brat and have two brothers and two sisters, we were all born in different states. I never had roots or really knew my grandparents because of the moves. We all ended up in California, my home since I was 5 or so. But still didn’t have permanent roots. Parents divorced, never really even new my Dad. I hope my 4 children will have fond memories of home and can share with their children and appreciate the parents they have and of course the grandparents. Family is really all we have and should be thankful for what GOD has blessed us with.
God Bless you Marion, you are greatly blessed.
Linda
Oh, I totally understand this. Sending love to you friend.
xoxo,
shaunna
A special tribute to your Opa. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and endearing story. Your Opa lives on in your heart and with all your creative projects.
I really loved this. What a beautiful home! I’m guessing he is where you got so much of your passion and love for creating.
Thank you for sharing something so personal with us!
I had a much loved Oma and Opa too but they lived in Holland. We grew up in Canada but we visited every second year or so. Their house was also very special to me and a place full of happy memories. I was just saying to one of my cousins that I wish we could all be back there again, drinking tea and playing cards around the dining room table. I know just what you mean when you describe your emotions about your Opa’s home….
Thank you for sharing that lovely story. I think it makes everyone who reads it reflect on beautiful memories of beloved parents and grandparents. My memories of my Maw-maw and Paw-paw, (who died when I was in high school), are playing in the barn and hayloft, crawling under the farm house, fishing at the pond and running out the back porch and seeing how far I could run before the screen door slammed. (I’d get in trouble for that one). In retrospect I look back at the beautiful furniture–dressing tables, vanities, cedar chests, wardrobes etc, and remember my parents and aunt and uncle selling most of it with the house because no one had room for it. Oh, what I would give for it now. But even more than that, reliving and visiting Maw-maw and Paw-paw at the farm.
Marian,
What a small world. I have been following your blog for over a year now and never realized your roots are in VA. I live in Chester, VA which is only about 9 miles from Petersburg. Your late grandfathers house is so lovely and his wonderful craftsmanship is such a tribute to his life. There are so many beautiful old homes in Petersburg especially in the Walnut Hills area and I know it makes you feel proud when you ride by the many homes he built.
The task of cleaning out a house which holds such dear memories after a love one has passed on is always difficult and my heart goes out to you. Hope you got a chance to drop by Kings Barbeque while you where in town. Its still the best in my book but there is only one location left now.
It is even smaller than you think. We actually were staying in Chester VA on Winfree St. at my Aunt and Uncle – while we were going through the house 🙂 – so we may have been down the Street from you 🙂 – we were in the same town :). MMS’s Mom
thanks for sharing your wonderful memories. the graceful home which is populated by your loving family is something we can all enjoy. that molding is spelled with an ‘i’ (eye) not an ‘a’. i know it looks like teeth, but…dentil, not dental. sorry to be so picky.
Oh wow! I never knew. I always assumed it was dental because it looked like teeth. LOL. You learn something new every day!
Hi I have followed your blog for awhile and had no idea you had Virginia ties. My husband owns his late fathers farm in Claremont Va so I have visited Petersburg several times . Thanks for sharing
Beautiful home and lots of treasured memories!!! My father in law was called Bopa,as was his father, and now my husband is to my granddaughter . For some reason they used Moma and Bopa in our family, but as you can tell by my last name, it is a German nickname! Nice to,pass down through the generations. My grandmother was called Mamie and her name (Mary Sikes) is my name also so I have taken that as my ” grandmother” name. Even though she died when I was 3 1/2 , I have very fond and distinct memories of her, which is why I want to be called Mamie like her. Certainly a wonderful way to keep those memories close at hand. I rattle on, so sorry…..just know that I understand how emotional it can be letting go of places and people you love so dearly…..God bless you through the changes. Mary
Marian, you touched my heart. Lovely, simply lovely in every way. Thank you.
Marian, thank you for sharing your special memories of this special house with all of us. Now we know where the seeds for what has become Miss Mustard Seed were sown….in Opa’s cabinet shop! Wouldn’t he be proud!
That was such a touching story. It made all of us reflect on our own “Opa”. When words are written from the heart they come out so beautifully, and that’s what you did. You’re such an inspiration to all of us. Thank you, Sincerely, Elaine
Oh,,,Thank you for sharing your heart. The woodworking talent doesn’t fall far from the tree. Such a beautiful home. May it be a blessing to a new family.
How great that you had some place to come back to while your Dad was in the military. My kids never had that and that’s why i purchased my “forever”home in Montana with 3 guest bedrooms. I want them to always feel like this is and was home for them. I just stared collecting those decanters for my recent bar make over. Those are really nice! Opa…what a great name to call a grandfather….
Hi Marian:
I so enjoyed your post today. Your Opa was a very gifted and talented man.
Life is a series of opening and closing doors. And in this case, with the sale of your Grandfather’s beautiful home the door will be closed to future visits. One thing that can never be closed are the wonderful and magical memories that you shared with your Grandparents. Not time, nor miles can ever diminished the memories of the love that was shared in this lovely home. Our memories keep us close to those that we love. Cheerish your memories and share them with your children so that those that we have loved and lost will never be forgotten.
Blessings to you
Marshall is a family name for us too here in New Zealand. It’s my Dad’s middle name, my brother’s first name and goes back quite a few generations. It’s pretty uncommon here.
Lovely post Marian. A beautiful house and some very special people.
Marian,
this was a wonderful post rich of beautiful memories and sentimental attachment felt with the soul. It made me think at my parents and at my grandmother house in Italy where lots of my memories are. I came to California in 2001 my whole family and parents are there in Italy I miss them, so I have lots of memories. I loved your post and your kindness sharing it with us touched my heart. The home is just so beautiful like it is your grandpa did an awesome job.
Carolina
Very touching, thank you for sharing. I pray your memories of your Opa and Oma will live on with you forever and that you continue to share them with others.
Amazing house and beautiful details. That’s what makes a Home.
This brought back memories of my beloved grandmother. I can still mentally walk through her house and hear her singing as she worked in her flower garden. I can feel the hot breeze as I played on the porch swing looking up at the ceiling painted sky blue. I can feel the sheer white curtains blowing across the bed in the guest room on warm summer evenings. Her home was lovely, but what made it all the more special was the time and love that she invested in me.
Wonderful post.
Thank you for sharing such a deeply personal glimpse of your family. Both of my grandfathers passed away before I was born: I’m sure the memories you treasure are wonderful! I have tears from reading about the wallet – I can only imagine how that must have felt.
Marian,
This is such a touching article…like others, tears welled up in my eyes. On a brighter note, what dream to have MMS stage a home for sale. If you are working with an agent, they must have be elated!
And finally, what an interesting connection you have to the Civil War…Gifts from Robert E Lee and you live in Gettysburg. Interesting..
Thanks for sharing such an intimate feeling about grandparents.
Robin
Thank you for so beautifully reminding us how such small moments become woven into the fabric of our own history, lives and definition. It is comforting to remember what grounds us and takes us back to another place and time.
I follow your blog daily, and have yet to comment on your wonderful posts. Today’s post is so sweet, I know you connection to the house is special, but your love of family rings out in this post! Also, I have a son named Ransom, after his great grandfather! Best wishes for the future of that precious home!
What a beautiful home and beautiful memories. My son and daughter-in-law and family live in my parents home. Family memories are very powerful and are what make a house a home. My husband and I are Oma and Opa to three grandchildren. I hope they have as many special memories of their childhood as you do, Marian. It’s easy to see where your creative talents come from. Thanks for sharing such a special part of your life with us all.
Take the chandelier! It doesn’t need to be left in the house. What an amazing story! I just lost my mother last month. I have no story to tell like yours. But she is with God now, and she is singing and praising him all the day long.
Sweetly written.
This post took me right back to cleaning out my grandfather’s house four and a half years ago. It was a surreal experience to know the home I’d visited my entire life would soon be off limits to me as another family moved in. I was able to take a few little things to remember him by, my favorite being his bronzed baby shoes. How those were left by the time I got to the house and not snatched up by someone else I’ll never know. Thanks for sharing. -Emily
What a heartfelt story. I feel the same about the house I grew up in. In the close up in the dining room I spied a Bavarian cina serving bowl with painted flowers in the center. I have the matching dessert plates. They were my grandmother’s! Small world 🙂
That was lovely and reminded me of my own sweet Grandma and Grandpa. I have Grandpa’s coin purse. My Dad remembered his father, with quite slow ceremony, getting the coin purse out when they went to town and giving Dad a nickel to buy candy…80 years ago!
Your Oma and Opa’s home is lovely and some lucky family will buy it very quickly.
I’m so glad that I clicked over. I see so much of you in that home. It’s very easy to see how it has influenced your own home.
I love it, especially the way you wrote about the memories. I’m afraid that young people today don’t appreciate and treasure memories!
Wow, what a story–I too moved around a lot and consider my grandparents acreage in Utah my “homebase.” Such wonderful memories. It’s bittersweet to part with those (my grandma passed away in January). How wonderful that you got your DIY skills from him;)
Oh Marian!!! My heart goes out to you today, and is also full of gratitude for sharing something so deep and personal. What a beautiful home. My dear sweet Oma and Opa passed away this last March 20th and 25th. They always prayed that they could pass together, never wanting to be apart, and their wish was granted to them. My Oma had a massive stroke a year and a half before her passing. She suffered a lot, and when she got close to passing, Opa had a surprise massive stroke that took him a few days later on the 20th. Then Opa came back for my Oma 5 days later. God works in mysterious and merciful ways, needless to say, I Have. Been. Devastated. My grandparents were, are, so dear to me. I was raised across the street from them, and spent a LOT of time there growing up. Their house is was 5300 square feet of my childhood bliss, covered in cuckoo clocks, german nutcrackers, old alpen oil paintings and the like. I know what you mean about seeing memories in every room…I can see it all clear as day. All the German Christmases, all the games of skipbo. I adored sitting at my Oma’s organ with her at my side. My husband and i had hoped to buy the house, it is only 10 minutes away from where we live now, so we thought we could make it work out. The house was put on the market and a couple has put earnest money on the home and it is all but sold. I have had a really hard time letting go of this place. This was my home too. I have been praying for strength to face all the tomorrows without my grandparents, and for strength to let go of their home, and I need you to know that this post has been a blessing to me. Thank you so much Marian.
I am so glad you had a chance to go and relive the memories and take a million pictures before saying goodbye. One of my greatest regrets of my life is not taking pictures of my grandpa working his ranch. I was too busy being young and stupid to do it when I lived nearby. Now he’s gone and I live on the other side of the country. Thanks for sharing such a sweet experience.
The Other Marian
Marian, what a lovely home your Grandfather built. It’s funny the decor is so much like your style. It’s beautiful.
Take the chandelier! That should stay in the family. You never know, there may be the perfect place for it in your future.
What wonderful memories you have. Now I need to go find a kleenex. When I got to the wallet part, I lost it, too. I had wonderful grandparents and miss them all terribly.
Saying goodbye to the home place is always extremely emotional. As an Army wife & mother, my priority was to give our sons love & roots. We were lucky because I married the “boy next door – almost”. Our parents lived a house apart, so our sons got to run between the houses visiting each set of grandparents at leisure. When we returned from Germany our oldest was shocked to learn that his friends’ grandparents didn’t live next door to one another!
We retired out of Ft. Lee, VA and have lived in the Petersburg area since 1986. Long time, and I have loved the homes in Petersburg and the southern architecture of so many of them.
It was easy to see your “Southern Girl” qualities, now I realize why!
I was totally taken by surprise to hear your story took place in Petersburg,Va. I was just there several days ago and I ate at King’s BBQ which is a ‘required’ whenever I go back home. I took a walk down Memory Lane as well, visiting each of the three homes I lived in ( I am a native and graduated from PHS in 1965), the church I attended as well as all of my schools. I was visiting with a childhood friend and we could hardly catch our breaths for telling the next, ” I remember when…” story.
Before leaving I went to Blandford Cemetery to place flowers on the graves of my parents and grandparents. I cherish memories of Petersburg, once a thriving and beautiful city of the South. I salute those who stayed there to bring numerous near revivals, so close until the economy tanked a few years ago. Now I fear it will go the way of Detroit. Everything changed once Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company closed down and even now Old Towne is showing decline. Such a shame.
Thanks for sharing your heart for your grandparents and my hometown. No one can take those precious memories from us. Penny
Penny, I graduated in Feb 68 and Warren, Marian’s Dad graduated in 66 – so we were all there together :). My maiden name was Johnson – so I am sure we know many of the same people. I need to get my yearbook out and look you up 🙂
Please don’t leave the chandelier! Please!!! What if the people who buy the home remove it? It’s a family treasure that clearly meant a great deal to your Opa. I hope it is able to stay in the family. 🙂
Grandparents are such a special treasure. Especially the generations who saw the civil war, world wars, the depression, and civil rights. Those who lived through such shaping times of this great country carried with them stories we will never read in a book. As I started to lose my grandparents I realized we were losing a great generation. I also realized that the passing of their grandparents and great grandparents was another sad loss. These people who lived through the history of this great country lived through such trying and difficult moments in time. They were a different breed than what we have become. Those difficulties shaped people that were strong, proud, and determined. Family was of utmost important to them. Their grandchildren we’re fortunate to have such amazing people in their lives.
Though we are very fortunate to have lived much easier lifestyles, we have not learned the lessons they have. We have not seen the things they saw. We have not conquered the adversity they conquered. Our lives of convienience have created a different type of American.
I love that your Opa’s life had such an influence on you. It sounds as though he left quite a legacy behind. I know it must be difficult to let go of his home. I hope the family that moves into his home, your home, appreciates the wonderful place they are blessed with. 🙂
I forgot to share with you in my previous post a few moments ago, that on my way back to Knoxville from Petersburg this week, I took the long, scenic route and drove up to Leesburg to visit Luckett’s General Store because you made it sound so inviting and special in your posts… AND IT WAS! I was so glad to be driving so I had plenty of room to load up on ‘goodies.’ Thanks for sharing. May God continue to shower you with many blessings. Penny
What a wonderful story – I could see the memories in my mind’s eye as you wrote. I know they would be very proud of you now as I am sure they were proud of you every day of your life. A beautiful home, a beautiful story and wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing with us!
Marian, what a touching story brought back memories of my grandparents. I love the home, I have been looking for the right color to paint my family room with no luck until today. I fell in love with the living room color of your Opa’s house, I am going to see if Ben Moore still carries it. Would you happen to know the color of the dentil and the corner hutch in the dinning room? Thank you for sharing your wonderful memories.
Lovely memories. I hope the chandelier stays in the family with the history. It is too beautiful to end up not being appreciated by someone else. Keep now what you will later regret you did not. It’s a lovely home and memories.
This touched my heart. My grandparents passed a few years ago. The house that my grandpa built and the property went up for sale. I had so many memories of my grandpa chasing us and watch out if he caught you. You would be in for the tickling of a lifetime with his huge bear like hands. And as I grew older, sitting on the porch in a rocking chair with my grandma trying to learn how to shell field peas that she had grown in her garden. Playing dress up with clothes and hats from the forties and fifties. My mother went through the house and brought home beautiful dishes and interesting antiques. I would have loved to had her old pie safe. I too, hope that the chandelier stays in the family. The next owner may want to modernize the house and who knows what may happen to that beautiful chandalier. A nearby car dealership bought my grandparents property and wound up demolishing the house so that they could expand their parking lot. My mother stood watching while the house came down. Seventy years of memories flooding through her mind. The beautiful thing is no matter what happens to the material things, thank goodness we have our memories.
Marian, if want to know more about the decanters (including which one is most likely to have belonged to Robert E. Lee), email the American curator at the Corning Museum of Glass. Her name is Kelly and you can reach her at “curatorial(at)cmog.org”; send her some good clear photographs of the decanters. Or, email me and I’ll put you in the touch with the just-retired curator of American glass, who is the — ahem! — Greatest Living Scholarly Authority on American glass (my claim, not hers) and also my mama.
American brilliant cut glass emerged as a style around 1850 and reached its peak in the early 20th century, so that’s a wide spread!
I really loved this post., and could really relate I lost my mom earlier this year. When I went home my heart and soul was flooded with so many memories from growing up .Hold on to the memories. I too hope the chandelier stays in the family. My mom received decanters and a beautiful glass tray as a wedding gift. one of the decanters now holds our mouthwash in the bathroom . It’s beautiful to look at and brings back memories.
Isn’t it cool that so many of your readers grew up in homes that their grandfathers built themselves? My Grandma Jean designed her “dream home” using string and stakes on their property, overlooking the Mississsippi River in Dubuque, Iowa. Then my Grandpa built it. From the first shovelful of dirt! Everything customized, just like your Opa did ~ shelves beside the fireplace that were sized to hold his National Geographics and her Hummel collection … a little telephone nook under the stairs … my dad’s bedroom had a private study area, away from nosy little sister … red geraniums in the window boxes and crab apple trees in the back yard. And, oh! The neighborhood was full of families, young and old, like something out of a Norman Rockwell scene. The pack of kids from ‘way back when’ are now parents of teenagers; the grandparents all gone. We stay in touch via Facebook, which keeps the memories alive. But I still dream of living in that house ~ can’t stand the thought of strangers who won’t value the love that is in every square inch. What can we do? We can plant red geraniums every year, name our sons “Marshall,” and pay forward the love. **And maybe save an heirloom chandelier? Because perhaps one day it will go to your granddaughter, and she will hang it in her home, and her children will hear the story of their Great Opa.
What a beautiful home and beautiful treasures, happy memories the most precious. Maybe this is where your love of blue and creative style started!?! Such a nice story, thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this lovely house and some of your fondest family memories, I couldn’t part with it, I would want to stay and live in it, but being practical is what life is all about so getting it ready for sale is your next sad step, but lease don’t leave the Chandelier because for all you know someone just might not like it as much as you and just sell or throw it out or it might get smashed up by accident. No ! take it to your own family.
Really great memories ….and I have the exact same dining room chairs (minus the needlepoint) that were given to me by my great aunt who never had children of her own. I don’t use them around the table anymore, but just occasional chairs in various rooms throughout the house. Besides the fact that I love the shape, I have very fond memories of seeing them in her dining room, and remembering my great-grandma who lived in the house too.
Thank you for sharing these sweet memories with us. I really enjoyed this post.
Have a blessed day.
Linda at The French Hens Nest
I can see where you get the blue you love so much from … thank you for sharing with us 🙂 I cleaned out my Opa’s house last year. NOT the easiest thing to do.
~ Deanna
I’m new to your website and your products and have enjoyed getting to know you by reading your posts. I live in Richmond, Va and quite familiar with Petersburg. Your post was very touching and I could relate to your sense of loss, your memories, cleaning out the home of someone you loved and knowing how poignant the process is. I have had to do this for my paternal grandmother and years later for my father who passed on 8 years after my mother. It is a sad process making decisions on what to keep, what to pass on to someone else. Just know that you had a very special place in your grandparent’s lives and it was fitting that you stage their home and make it shine. Everything looked beautiful.
What a delightful post to read first thing this morning. Thank you for sharing you wonderful memories.
Cheryl