My parents live in California, where I was born and raised. They come to Texas for frequent visits, however, and on one recent visit my dad gave me a savings bond that my Great Grandmother Monninger had given to me when I was little. He’d filed it away for safekeeping alongside other documents and as the years — then the decades — slid past had forgotten about it. When he came across it a few months ago, he brought it to Texas in his suitcase for me.
Receiving it was like receiving a surprise gift from the past.
Great Grandma Monninger with her son Willard, who’s my mom’s dad. Why are you both looking so serious? It’s Christmas Day!
Ah, smiles! This is a picture of my dad, mom, and me.
Great Grandma’s full name was Maude Ethel Houser Monninger. She was born in 1888 and died in 1979, at the age of 91. Like many people of her generation, she looks stern in photos. In actuality, she was a very sweet, affectionate lady. I can remember the ‘squeaky’, smoochy kisses she’d give us whenever we saw her.
On the red envelope that enclosed the savings bond she’d written…
She purchased the bond in November of 1974, the month I turned three.
She would have paid $15 for the bond. Over time, the bond would mature to be worth $25, then more than that, the longer it was held. I checked, and if you adjust $15 in 1974 money for inflation, it’s equivalent to about $77 in 2016 money. A nice gift for a three year old! I love that she was thinking about my future and wanted to invest her gift in a sensible way.
Well, Great Grandma’s little great granddaughter is now forty-four. And I was delighted to receive her present. I’ll keep the envelope forever because it has her handwriting on it. The bond, I took to my local Bank of America. When I handed it to the teller I was somewhat expecting her jaw to drop and for her to say, “What? This is from 1974! Too awesome!” But she didn’t bat an eye. She processed it in a very professional manner and let me know that Great Grandma’s bond was now worth $131.26.
I deposited it into the account I use to pay my writing expenses because I thought Grandma Monninger might be pleased to know that her gift was being used to help support her great granddaughter’s ministry and dream.
Great Grandma and me.
I’m fortunate, because I can remember three of my great grandparents. And I had all four of my grandparents in my life until my mid-twenties.
My mom’s mom often hosted tea parties for us at her house. She had a collection of tiny demitasse cups that she always poured our tea into. Many years after her death, my mom passed this one along to me.
Here’s a picture of my own daughter drinking tea out of it just last week. I even flavored it the way grandma used to, with plenty of milk and sugar. And I served one of the things she used to serve, apple slices garnished with sugar and cinnamon. Still yummy!
When I turned sixteen, my dad’s mom gave me her mother’s wedding band. She told me that she’d received it when her mother passed away because she was the oldest daughter. And she wanted me to have it because I was the oldest granddaughter.
I’ve cherished it! I had it inscribed with my great grandparents’ names and the date of their 1919 wedding. They were married for 67 years!
When His Highness and I were talking about engagement ring styles, I made sure I selected one that would complement the band I already had and wanted to wear and use.
All of this has got me thinking.
It’s lovely to receive a surprise gift from the past. It’s lovely to receive things that people leave you in their wills. It’s lovely to receive things that inheritors give you because they know how much you’ll appreciate them (like the tea cup).
Maybe it’s loveliest of all to receive gifts from the person themselves, the way that I received the ring from my grandmother. By rights, my grandmother could have kept her mother’s ring all her life. Instead, she gave it to a sixteen year old girl. And twenty-eight years later, long after my grandmother’s death, I still remember where we were when she gave it to me. And what she said. And how it made me feel.
What do you think about the idea of giving your treasures away? Did someone in your life pass something special down to you before their death? I’d love to hear about an heirloom that’s of particular value to you.
Becky Wade
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We have my great-grandmother’s demitasse cups & saucers. My grandmother gave them to my mom for Christmas one year. I remember drinking coffee out of them with my grandfather when I was little.
How fun to see that another Becky has demitasse cups from her grandmother! Love those!
My mother gave me a very precious gift ten years ago. It was a gold cross that was my grandmother’s. My mother’s mother had passed it down to her before my grandmother passed away at the age of 38. This made the gift even more precious as I have never met my grandmother. It made me feel like I had a piece of the grandmother I had never met but heard so much about from my mother.
Never having the privilege of ever having children I contemplate which of my many nieces I am going to bless with this precious gift to. I only pray the one I pass it down to realizes what a precious gift I am passing to her. A simple gold cross not extravagant but very precious.
Thanks for sharing about the cross necklace you inherited, Leann. I can definitely understand why it’s so special to you. It’s a representation of faith that connects you to both your grandmother and your mother. Very precious, indeed.
I passed down to my great niece my grandmothers wedding locket and her baby ring. My great niece has the same initials as my grandmother and both items were engraved. I loved doing it. You see, I was adopted and found my birth sisters and gained s new family in 2009. My sisters mean the world to me.
Oh, Ane! That’s awesome. How amazing for your great niece, to have been given a locket and ring inscribed with her very same initials. She must feel so honored to have received those.
My great grandmother on my father’s side happened to have the same name as I do (maiden name) Mary Rebecca Mitchell. When my grandmother died she left me a beautiful 18k gold watch/pendant that had the initials for MRM on it. It’s my favorite heirloom. I would send a picture, but right now it’s in a safety deposit box.
Ahhhh!! What a gift. And what a connection to your great grandmother — the very same name.
My great grandmother on my father’s side happened to have the same name as I do (maiden name) Mary Rebecca Mitchell. When my grandmother died she left me a beautiful 18k gold watch/pendant that had her mother’s initials on it; MRM . What a beautiful heirloom, even though I never met my namesake. I would send a picture, but right now it’s in a safety deposit box.
My great grandfather gave me a piece of pottery that was his mother’s so I treasure it and would never part with it
Wow! So the pottery belonged to your great, great grandmother? That’s going back a ways! What a fabulous, rare link to the past. I think it’s wonderful that your great grandfather gave it to you specifically, Sheila.
By the way, I’m a big fan of pottery. I have a collection!
Great post, Becky. After my Grandmother passed away, my Granddaddy wanted all of us kids to pick out something of hers to remember her by. She collected antiques and had some great pieces. Living half a country away, I couldn’t easily take large pieces of furniture, but my cousin helped me collect some wonderful smaller pieces, things I remember fondly from visits to her home over the holidays.
I have a small washstand with mirror and a white porcelain ewer and basin along with a shaving mug complete with brush and soap. I also have some opera glasses, hat pins, and a hair comb. All things my history loving soul adores, but more than that, they are memories of a woman I loved dearly.
“…my cousin helped me collect some wonderful smaller pieces, things I remember fondly from visits” Yes! It’s the things we have memories of, the things we associate with that person, that are the things that mean the most. I love that your granddaddy opened his home and invited you all to take things to remember her by. What a thoughtful and generous thing to do.
I LOVE today’s post–thank you! As the first great-granddaughter, granddaughter, and only daughter, I inherited jewelry and treasures from three generations of women–but I received most of them before they passed away, so they were able to see me enjoy their things. My grandmother loved jewelry, but she had horrific arthritis (the worst that her physical therapists had EVER seen–almost a case study, really), so she kept her costume pieces and gave Mom and me her “real” jewelry fairly early in her life. She said that it would be just tragic to die and never get to see us enjoying her sparklies!
How gracious! I suppose the joy in passing things on while you’re still living might be 1) You receive the blessing of being able, yourself, to give the gift. 2) You get to see your loved ones enjoying your gift. Thanks for sharing that, Andrea!
Being the only daughter my mother gave me her wedding and engagement rings. She’s 81 now and I got her permission to offer them to my son to give his bride. He chose to purchase his own.
My first and only granddaughter so far was born in May like me. I have a beautiful emerald ring my husband bought me. When she turns 21 I plan to give it to her.
My paternal grandmother had always told me her engagement ring would be mine. When she passed I discovered the ring was missing the diamond. Unbelievably my original engagement ring diamond fit perfectly. My daughter is now wearing that ring.
Gail, I think that jewelry is such a personal and wonderful heirloom to receive. I loved hearing about the things you’ve given and received.
I have a milk can that was used on my maternal grandparents’ farm; My maternal grandmother hand embroidered aprons & dresser scarves & I have some of those! My cousin sent me old photographs of my maternal grandparents’ siblings & of themselves from the early 1900s…my maternal grandparents were married at the Minnesota state fair in the early 1900s–in very elaborate outfits, & I have an usually long wedding picture of them! My cousin also sent a photo album of my maternal grandfather’s side of the family, and NONE OF THEM are labeled! 🙁 I know they are my great aunts & uncles, but I don’t which ones & grandpa was one of several children!) On my Paternal side I have some collectible statues that were my grandmother’s…I asked for one of her Bibles, but my uncle told me “everyone” wanted one of those! I still have gifts from my childhood–a necklace from an aunt, w/ a heart dated 1956! (none of my adult children are interested in any of these keepsakes…sigh)
It’s wonderful that you have some items that were hand-embroidered by your grandmother! The fact that it’s her handiwork must make those extra special. I love old photographs and sympathize with you. It’s frustrating when they’re not labeled and you’ve no idea which people are which. 🙂
My daddy was in the merchant marines for about 10 years at the end of WWII and after and had things from all over the world. About a year before he died, he and my mother had my sisters and I come to their house to divide those things among the 3 of us. There are several things that I got that I treasure because they were from him. I also have some handmade quilts and doilies from my grandmother and my husband’s grandmother.
That’s awesome, Susan!
I feel very blessed to have a collection of treasured trinkets from my grandparents and great grandparents. My great grandfather on my dad’s side did a lot of bead work. My great grandmother, same side of the family, tatted. I have tatted and beaded ornaments that they made for my Christmas tree.
My mom’s mom went through most of her possessions long before she died and wrote names on the bottom so they would be handed down to who she wanted to have them – that made things much simpler after she died. I have many special things of hers – one of my favorites is a ring that my grandpa gave her. I have special trinkets of his as well – cuff links, a hanky and a watch.
My dad’s dad was the first of my grandparents to die. He died when I was in high school. I have his wedding band and wonderful memories of eating watermelon with him. My dad’s mom is my one remaining grandparent and I treasure her (she’s the one that I lived with a few streets over from your parents).
I love the special trinkets that bring special memories to mind. Thanks for sharing yours with us Becky!
Thanks for sharing this, Ronya! Christmas ornaments make terrific keepsakes. I have ornaments that date back to before we were married. I try to pick up Christmas ornaments at the places we visit. And I carefully label them all by year. When I unpack them each December it’s like a walk down memory lane! I wish I had some that were created by great-grandparents.
I agree on how special Christmas ornaments are Becky! My grandma has bought us all dated ornaments every year since I was a baby! I have flat brass ornaments in shapes of angels or wreaths, etc with my name engraved on them and generally the date. I have one that I made out of a laundry detergent scoop with my aunt when I was five. One of my favorites is from high school. A fellow Chamber Singer and her mom made each of us an ornament of ourselves in our Chamber Singer outfit from that year and wearing a Santa hat. I just love unpacking all those fun ornaments and the memories that come with them as I hang them on the tree! I love the idea of picking up an ornament from the different places you visit!!
Nice post. Thanks for sharing some of your treasures memories.
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by, Vickie. 🙂
My dad’s father taught Sunday School from the time he was 18 until he was 97. Before he died he gave me the Bible he had used for most of those years and made notes in. He first taught Sunday school at the YMCA near his Army post during WWI. It is a treasured gift. Ik also have the analogy of poetry that my maternal grandmother’s poems were published in in 1936.
I love the idea of special heirlooms but I come from a long line of horders and sentimental value is placed on everything from furniture to knick knacks. Hopefully my husband and I can start new healthier traditions for our children and grandchildren.