July 24, 2011

The Rocking Chair




The time is soon approaching that Melanie should not be traveling too far from our home and hospital in St. Paul. So, we took one of our last opportunities to go visit family in Iowa and got a special surprise. This wonderful rocking chair is a family heirloom now handed down to us.

As all good stories tend to be, the particulars of the chair's origins are a little vague. What is known is that sometime around 1900 a relative came to the United States by boat from Germany. The only possession she chose to bring was this rocking chair. Nobody knows how old it was at that point or if she was the original owner, but it seems certain that the rocking chair was beloved.

barn at bruce and jenny's country home

Eventually the chair came to my father, Bruce. Not wanting to part with the rocker but without a purpose for it, he held the chair in storage. Seeing that Melanie and I would be able to make good use of it for nursing and rocking his grandchild to sleep, he nicely gifted it to us.

a pup with the chair
Mel and I had a fabulous stay with Bruce, Jenny and their three big pups at their beautiful country home. We also got to enjoy a visit with other family, Marsha, Ron, Jesse and Eleanor who all seem excited to have a new family member on the way. We were very happy to get caught up with all of the good things happening for our family, and getting to bring home a bit of family history made a great trip even more special.




I first knew the chair as belonging to my grandmother, Gladys. I wish she and my grandfather, Carl were still alive to meet their great-grandchild, but it is nice to at least have a reminder of them present. Now, this well travelled rocking chair is with Melanie and I in St. Paul waiting to support the latest addition to the family.

the rocking chair in its new home

2 comments:

  1. LOVE THIS!.....great chair..great history.....fantastic.........what a lovely visit you had....so glad.......xxoooo....
    your blog is fab..I love you ...love,maz

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  2. What a great story that is. And beautiful chair too!

    ReplyDelete