Posted by Angela Keck from Ancestry in Miscellaneous
Project Idea: Family Heirlooms
9 Sep 2010
Recently my husband’s grandmother moved into an assisted living facility, so we were all gathered together helping to clear out her home of the sixty some odd years of collectables, knick-knacks and family heirlooms she had gathered during her life. My husband’s grandfather passed away when my husband was in high school, and was a major influence on his life. It’s because of his grandfather that my husband enjoys gardening and woodworking. When everyone in the family was encouraged to choose items to keep from the home, my husband made a straight line to the woodshop to gather up some of his grandfather’s tools. Using the tools that his grandfather had used is an emotional connection for my husband.
This got me thinking about the family keepsakes that I have from my own family. I have a crystal ring box that was my great-grandmothers; I have antique plates decorating my kitchen that were my grandmother’s. But the real treasures, those are still held by my own mother. She has quilts that my great-grandmother loomed the fabric, and pieced together to form a pattern. They are beautiful, and in an era where things are mass-produced and copied they are a little awe inspiring for me. They are an inspiration for my own mother, who is passionate about quilting and sewing.
While you’re building your own family tree and sharing family stories why not take photographs of some of your family heirloom pieces, and then write a little about them and their history and share them on your page? Invite and encourage your other family members to join you and share their own photographs and stories as well! Perhaps you can even find an old photo of someone in your family using, or holding, the treasured item!


Sharing photos with your family is simple on 