This photo was taken near Whitehall, Wisconsin in about 1928. The little girl in the wooden rocking chair is my mother and the baby that my grandfather is sitting by is probably my aunt June or maybe even the younger sister Lois. Mom would have been about 4 in this picture. My mother told me that her father made this rocking chair himself, and since he was a cabinet maker/carpenter/farmer I'm not surprised. It's a very sturdy, but simple chair from very common wood (pine probably).
That rocking chair is one of the few pieces of furniture that made the move to Minnesota with the family in 1930. And it was always in our house when I was growing up. Years later my own children sat in that rocker at my mom's house. When she died in 1991 there was no doubt in my mind that the rocking chair was coming home with me. And right now that little wooden rocker lives in my basement office/family room area where I can enjoy it every day.
The quilt draped over it is one my paternal grandmother made for me in about 1958 or 59. And my grandchildren can rock in a chair made by my grandfather for his children almost a hundred years ago. So 5 generations of my family have touched this small piece of furniture. I'm so glad it is still in the family and that I can feel the connections with my ancestors.
3 comments:
What a treasure, it would be neat to have a picture of each generation in that cute little chair!
Just precious. So neat that you have that picture to connect with your chair.
What a delightful story behind that treasured rocker! My, how your mother's hair shines in the photo: I bet her mother rinsed her hair with vinegar after it was washed.
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