When my parents emptied out their big house to move into an apartment, I got a few

[applegrove]

homemade quilts, a pretty plate that I have hanging on my wall and the vacuum cleaner. I had no room for anything else. Now of course I regret it. I should have taken all the quilts and all my grandmother's books from the 20th century that my parents had saved from her house. My brother? He asked only for those wire sock hangers (that you put socks onto to dry) from the laundry room in the basement, LOL! What treasures have you gotten from family when that time came?

[OriginalGeek]

1. Well, not yet but

My grandpa has made me executor of his will and is leaving me his house and his 65 Lemans.



Here's to hoping it's a long time before I see any of it.


I did get some nifty omelette pans from dad - but that was more sentimental than anything. He once made omelettes for my daughter with them and she always loved omelettes since then and only wants them from those pans.

[applegrove]

2. Good call on the omelette pans. It is those things with emotional value that are the best. The

quilts I took were not the prettiest ones, they are simply the ones I knew were made out of actual houseclothes from the farm my mom grew up on. So much time were put into said quilts. They are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Holding one of them last night reminded me instantly of my grandmother.

[OriginalGeek]

6. Sounds like excellent quilts to me

We have one quilt my great-aunt made for me and my wife and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

[trof]

18. Omelette pans? The kind that fold in the middle?

Say it ain't so.
Saute pans with the sloped sides, right?

[OriginalGeek]

25. lol yeah, sautee pans

we just call them omelette pans because that is the only thing we cook in them. Because that's what dad made in them. Omelettes would taste like crap from any other pan. You can't convince me otherwise.

eta: I have a nice set of cookware my uncle (Dad's brother) gave me for christmas several years ago. We cook everything else in those - but dad's omelette pans are for omelettes. Just because.

[dimbear]

3. My aunt knew how much I love electronics, so she left me the 1942 Philco.

It was a bad year for radio components. I have replaced nearly every resistor and capacitor and one of the tube sockets. One of the tubes burned out three times in a row.

An incredible struggle to get it going, but you do that sort of thing for family stuff. Beautiful little set, BTW.

[madamesilverspurs]

4. Grandmother's pump organ

It actually resides at my sister's house, since I don't presently have room for it. But it's mine, I'm the only one who ever played it. Nowadays, my rotten knees require that my nephew squats down and pushes the pedals. But no other instrument on the planet sounds like it, and it still brings a smile to Mom's face.

[elleng]

5. I have Dad's '93 Toyo Camry wagon,

still running well. They put most of a wonderful fine art collection, given them by Dad's best friend/framer and restorer, in storage @ the framer's business, and I HOPE I'll have room for some of my favorites sometime. Each of my daughters has one painting, and my brother has a few. Brother also has the baby-grand piano! Tho he's my kid brother and I remember the day the piano came through the WINDOW of our Brooklyn apartment, he has room for it in his house now, he plays it, and as Dad is living near him now, Dad still has opportunities to enjoy the GREAT gift he bought for the family 60? years ago.

I have Mom's jewelry, and some clothing. Tho the clothing either doesn't fit or isn't my style, I can't part with it. I also have their old, fine glassware, and plates from grandmother. Plates are not 'fine,' but pretty and useful for slightly 'fancy' dinners.

[Phentex]

7. My husband's grandmother's table and chairs, Japanese dolls, elephants...

a soup tureen, a small train radio, and some old 78s.

Nobody wanted the dining room set so we took it and had it refinished. NOW, they want it! There is a matching buffet still in storage that they won't give me. Grrr...

My favorite is the radio because it was my nana's and I was closest to her.

[oneshooter]

8. My Grandfathers(Dads side) Winchester M92 rifle and Colt New Service revolver

The rifle and pistol were bought mail order from a distributer, he was a part time Deputy Sheriff for 20+ years. Rifle was built in 1905, the revolver in 1904 and both are in 38WCF caliber.

Oneshooter

[pipi_k]

11. Oh, this makes me think with regret

of the authentic Henry rifle passed down to Mr Pipi by one of his ancestors who fought in the Civil War with the Illinois 7th.

He sold it to a gun collector back in 1996 just before we moved to where we are now, along with lots of supporting photos and documents.

I wish we had that thing back again.

[HopeHoops]

9. A lot. I've got a box of my grandfathers 35mm slides sitting in the dining room.

I have two sewing machines (one from each grandmother), one's typewriter, my grandfather's pocket watches and some of his clocks, an old rotary telephone that's so stained from smoke that it probably isn't worth anything other than to me, a set of kitchen graters from a family friend, my grandfather's metal WW-II footlocker, my mother-in-law's Candlewick collection (probably worth a fortune), My father-in-law's shotgun and three handguns (my favorite of which isn't worth a damn thing), books, coins, pictures (including my grandmother's oil paintings), musical instruments, a straight razor (I don't shave), all kinds of things.

AND, my prize - the 68 Galaxie Fastback that my grandfather bought new when I was 5 years old. She's in storage. My goal is to have her fully restored before any of my three girls get married, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. One of them will get her some day. I've already passed on my 76 Selmer alto sax to my youngest daughter. I can still play it really well, but she's the one with the long-term potential now, not me. The 74 Giannini craviola my dad bought new is still in excellent shape and I'll pass that along one day as well. I enjoy playing it too much to do that now. NOTHING else sounds that sweet.

Part of aging is passing things on to the next generation, family or not. You just know who will take care of your treasures.

[pipi_k]

10. Cassette tapes

that belonged to my dad. Old comedies. Some Dixieland Jazz that he used to like.

He died in 2002 and I still haven't been able to listen to them.

From my MIL, we got her "bong" clock...wood with a glass front and pendulum, it makes a nice bong noise on the hour and I always loved it.

Also, I got her hand egg beater. The kind you have to turn the handle on. A bottle of "Joy" perfume that hubby gave her when he was in Europe back in the 1950s. It's a tiny bottle with a green leather case. I don't even know if she ever used it.

And...what I wanted most of all...the Swarovski crystal snail someone gave her that she had stashed away and never displayed. I have it in a clear plastic case on my dresser.

Oh, and I almost forgot...a wooden blanket chest...I think it's maple.

[csziggy]

12. My parents aren't gone yet, but I've got my grandmother's piano

Actually, it was HER parent's piano, but it was the one she learned to play on. I was promised the piano, but my oldest sister got it to teach her sons to play on. A few years after she died I went down and brought it home.

It's not a well known brand, but it has excellent sound - upright grand made in 1905, The piano tuner says all it needs is new felts and it will be great musically. After spending a few years in an all male household, it had some abuse to the finish so I'd like to get it refinished someday.

I wish I still played!

Eventually I will get the secretary because no one else wants it. Empire style, made in 1835 as a wedding present for the ancestors of a friend of my grandmother. Grandmother bought it from her friend when she had to move into an assisted living facility. I've always loved the simply lines and since I knew the previous owner, it is special to me.

[BiggJawn]

13. Grandma's cast iron skillets.

FSM knows who SHE got them from...

[pipi_k]

14. Do you use them

a lot?

I ended up buying my own, preseasoned.

Those things cook just about everything great, and they last forever.

I have six skillets of varying sizes (one with raised grids for grilling), a cast iron butter melting pot, and a cast iron Dutch oven.

The smallest of my skillets is about 3 inches across at the bottom. Spoon rest...

[BiggJawn]

24. Oh, HELL yes...

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING fries an egg better than seasoned iron.

They're wonderful, and I'm going to pass them down to my daughter.

[Burma Jones]

15. One of my most prized posessions is a quilt my Grandmother (and friends) made

My Grandfather cut out the pieces as he went through Cancer.......

I have another quilt my other Grandmother made as well......

[Old Troop]

16. When Mom passed, I got a photo album that had been my grandmother's.

The album is maybe 18 inches by 15 inches, hard cover covered in maroon velvet. The pages are a thick cardboard or something of that nature and the pictures in it are of men in civil war - style uniforms, men in 19th century clothing and women in 19th century dresses. The frustrating thing is that there is not one word of explanation written in it anywhere so I have no idea who these people are.

[Old Troop]

17. Oh and I got an Atwater-Kent stand-up radio from the 30's and

a four legged humidor with a round hole in the top that may have held a bowl or something similar.

[grasswire]

26. just FYI

Photos of men in civil war uniforms command a good price in the collector's market. Are the photos on the "cardboard"? Or are they tintypes? Albums of that era are quite sought after. Is there a photographer's name/location anywhere?

[trof]

19. I've inherited several family heirlooms.

I have granny's 10" cast iron frying pan.
It's my most prized possession.
For all I know she got it from her mother or grandmother.
They've been around for ages.

From my two (almost*) spinster great-aunts I got a nice antique leaded glass china cabinet and a beautiful library table.
And a desk.

From Granny I also got a secretary desk.
Grampa won it in a sales contest.
He sold Cadillacs, Buicks, and Chevys.

(almost*) spinsters:
Aunt Mattie was married to Sam.
But it turns out he was a gamblin' man and he DRANK.
They divorced after 6 years.

Aunt Lucia, her sister, was married for 6 months and her marriage was annulled.
I have no idea what that situation was.

The sisters lived together for the rest of their lives and were my baby sitters and most devoted fans.

[applegrove]

20. I had a spinster aunt who was so much fun. I told her we drank "champagne and orange juice"

Last edited Tue Feb 28, 2012, 10:23 PM - Edit history (1)

at a prom party (underage) when I was a teen and she said "oh that sounds awful - - - - I hate orange juice!".

[Curmudgeoness]

21. Spinster???? My dear applegrove,

I take offense. We are curmudgeonesses.

Well, at least you didn't say "old maid" aunt. That is what my snot-nosed nieces call me.....and they will pay.

[applegrove]

23. Oh I am a spinster too. I don't know what they call me.

[Curmudgeoness]

22. I guess I have you all beat.

I inherited the homestead, and everything in it.....except for what my sisters wanted.

The down side----I just can't get rid of things, even if I hate them. Everything has memories.