Family Heirlooms

[CaberTosser]

I was at my Dad's tonight for dinner and a late exchange of Christmas gifts was on the agenda due to family visit logistics last week. I was quite taken aback and drawn to tears by his gifting of my Great Grandfathers gold pocket watch to me. I had always admired it but was not looking forward to receiving it as I thought it would only be after my Fathers passing. I have mentioned my Great Grandfather on the forum previously, typically on Remembrance Day posts as he served in WWI with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders out of Winnipeg. I had spent some time with my Great Grandpa as a youngster before his passing though due to my young age at the time I don't recall a lot of details of our time spent together. He was particularly close with my Dad, perhaps that is why my Dad received it instead of one of his own sons (my Dad was his daughters son). My middle name is in honor of Great-Grandpa Alexander and I'm humbled by being passed on his Masonic pocket watch. I thought some among you might like to see it, particularly those among you who are Masons. He is seated at left in the first photo. The watch still works perfectly.

I thought it might be a neat thread idea for people to share family keepsakes that mean a lot to them, whether or not they have an intrinsic value outside of their sentimental value. Something whittled out of a branch by someone you loved might well be priceless to you. Lets see your keepsakes and hear the stories behind them.

[drake]

things like that are better received from a warm hand than a cold one....very special, thanks for sharing

[57charlie]

Vintage timepieces are treasures, but more so when you know the story behind them.

[wildbill]

Very nice timepiece, was never really all that close to my dad, he is very old school, just turned 79 the other day, three of my grandparents were gone when I was still a child, and my granny lasted until I was 21, I regret not getting to know them better, you are fortunate to have known your father and grandfathers and to have something like that watch to remember them by. Take care of it, thieves of today have no respect for heirlooms like that.

[Armorman]

Beautiful story CaberTosser, thanks for sharing it.

May I offer a couple suggestions? I would try and find someone trustworthy who can service/inspect the movement in that Omega pocket watch before you wind it up too many times. And an appraisal on value for insurance purposes wouldn't hurt either. Some of those vintage pocket watches can be very valuable.

[Jack Hardin]

My paternal grandfather died in 1918 of the Spanish Flu when my Dad was 2 yrs old. In 1978 my Dad gave me his Dad's pocket watch when it was stylish to wear one with a vest. it is a Waltham and was made in 1908. It still works and I wore it on New Years Eve. I still wear it on occasion when wearing a vest.

[TylerThomson]

Cool story and timepiece. I've always been drawn to pocket watches. I really like the way it's displayed.

[CaberTosser]

Thanks for the suggestions Armorman, though my Dad had the appraisal aspect covered already, and I would imagine he had the movement inspected as well but I will verify it with him. I've not seen the appraisal but I'm sure he'll have it on file. Of course that will have the pertinent information although the dollar firgures in it will be 25-35 years old. The dollar value is not an issue anyways as this will never be sold, I'd eat from a dumpster long before parting with it if things ever became that financially desparate. It's been hanging on that little display on my Dads roll top desk since at least the early 1980's as I've taken it out on occasion to look at ever since my teens. The display also has a glass dome that we removed in order to photograph it, the dome sits around the base where we have the chain encircling it so it's more tucked in when the dome is in place. I'm curious what the yellow gemstone at the end of the chain is made of as there seem to be a few possibilities when checking Google, though that's probably already known to my Dad / in the appraisal. My wife certainly has greater knowledge of those things; heck, I didn't even know what color Topaz was until last night... And perhaps I still don't as maybe it comes in more than one color?

After WWI Great Grandpa worked as an electrician and building operator for the main Royal Bank building in Winnipeg through until his retirement, he was in his late 20's during the war itself so he might well have already been an electrician at the wars outset. In his memoirs there are references to his having helped a local man install a dynamo to power the mans home in Scotland when he was a young boy. That experience would have been what set him on his career path as the installation he assisted with was the very first building in his entire village to be electrified.

[RZR]

That a great gift to receive caber. My grandfather was in WWI and WWII my mom got some of his medals from those wars. He had some stories of his time in both wars, there is a lot of history behind those treasures that are passed down. These people fought for our freedom. It’s too bad some of the younger generation is willing to give up some of those freedoms.

[realist]

I also have the big kraut pot and cabbage slicer, just like the pictures shown. Also a hand carved 2X4 to push down and stir the kraut. I think Dad carved it. Stored for now. Hopefully one of the kids (or Sooner) will use them for a future Rec Room memorabilia corner display.

[omega50]

My grandfather passed in the early 70's and left each kid a old steamer trunk.
In mine was a Swiss Hebdomas Pocket watch and his Navy issued reusable condom that was as thick as a raincoat and was folded in thirds. Wishful thinking perhaps , but you could slip it over the wide end of a baseball bat.

Also a cool old Lusitania Medal.

[Twisted Canuck]

Wait, a Navy issue what?? Well, you learn something every day. Thanks for that Omega.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by omega50

My grandfather passed in the early 70's and left each kid a old steamer trunk.
In mine was a Swiss Hebdomas Pocket watch and his Navy issued reusable condom that was as thick as a raincoat and was folded in thirds. Wishful thinking perhaps , but you could slip it over the wide end of a baseball bat.

Also a cool old Lusitania Medal.

I only want to see two of those items framed in a shadow box on your wall when I visit!

[guster]

when dad passed in the 80's left me my grandfathers anvil which
is over 100 yrs old which my son will end up with.

[omega50]

[buckbrush]

Originally Posted by guster

when dad passed in the 80's left me my grandfathers anvil which
is over 100 yrs old which my son will end up with.

That's something that will last for ever.

What brand of anvil is it, do you have pictures?

[huntinstuff]

I have my moms report cards she got while in nursing school in the 50’s and her nursing pin that she always wore on her uniform.

[Twisted Canuck]

Pretty likely actually, Graybeard. A crock and slicer were apparently very common, everybody made kraut, nobody would even think of buying it. They sure are nice heirloom pieces though, right?

I was just looking at this thread again, and figured I would add two pieces. In the spring of 1967, shortly after I was born, dad bought a business in Cardston on main street, a tire shop. Apparently it was originally the M.D. Building (it had a really cool and massive walk in safe, wish I had it in my basement!)...anyway, when he bought it, there was an old oak stool at the counter, and a bronze fire extinguisher behind the front door. I grew up sitting on that stool, coloring, stamping his invoice books, spinning, and generally trying to stay out of his way. And I always liked the way that extinguisher sparkled in the sun coming in the big windows.

Dad sold the shop some time ago, and he passed away a few years ago, but before he did, I was visiting him at his home in Coaldale, and saw the extinguisher in the corner of his garage under an inch of dust. He was going to flat out give it to me, but my siblings would have had something to say about that (family, yep)...so I did him a deal and made a kit of sweet Spanish wine he liked and bottled it in exchange. The stool I got after some wonderful family discussions (dad had said he wanted me to have it)....anyway.. good memories from them. That stool is still as solid and tight as the day they made it, and will still be good 100 years from now, and in fact the manufactures is still in business (Krug Furniture in Kitchener ON). They don't make them like they used to!