In Memory Of...

This picture was taken at a family reunion in 2005. Uncle Clarence on the right.

My husband's Great Uncle Clarence passed away 2 weeks ago. He was an amazing man!

The prime example of a gentleman, soft-spoken, very giving, honest, and just a good ole' country boy!

When the family gathered for his funeral, we were told to walk through his house and take whatever meant something to us.

At first we felt weird. It just didn't feel right to be going through his things and taking them.

Ken's Grandma kept insisting that we take some things because if the family didn't take it, it was all going to end up in auction or Goodwill.

So finally we started looking around with the rest of the family.

It turned out to be a neat time of sharing memories of such an important family member. Someone would see the accordians that he would play at family reunions.

And the cribbage boards sitting on his TV table.

Or the collection of John Deere items.

The huge popcorn bowl sitting by his recliner.

All these things were dear memories of him.

I got this vintage Montgomery Ward family scale with a basket of wooden eggs. This sat in Uncle Clarence's kitchen and I always thought it was the cutest thing. Now it sits on my kitchen counter.

This is an antique buffet hutch. I love this!

A little cow stool that Kaycie chose to keep. She remembers sitting on this when we've been at Uncle Clarence's house. It now sits by the kids' bookshelf. (notice the udders!)

A beautiful antique dresser. It has a large, oval vanity mirror ,that we are repairing, that attaches to it. It needs some work but I think the girls will love having this dresser in their room.

Other items we got: vintage croquet game set (Kyle's), antique pocket knife (Ryan's), cribbage board, popcorn popper, quilt rack, a push broom for the shop/garage, and an antique iron (which we were told, besides ironing shirts, was warmed on a woodstove and wrapped in a blanket or towel, then placed at the foot of the kids' bed to warm their feet in the winter at night.)

We will greatly miss Uncle Clarence but I'm so glad we have these things to remember him by.