#52Ancestors - Week 5 - 3 GENERATIONS OF SERVING WARE

The prompt this week was In the Kitchen. I thought about how I have become the repository for all things family history.  When someone wants to get rid of something that belonged to an ancestor, most likely I will say, "No, give it to me."  That's how I have ended up with three generations of china sets.  

I registered for china and silver at ZCMI in Salt Lake City when I was married in 1981.  We received place settings for 8, a few serving dishes and just a couple pieces of silver.  I should use it more than I do.  Mom was never the type to give advice and no one else mentioned to me that if I chose a color like blue with flowers it would be difficult to use at Christmas, etc.  I probably would have been too stubborn to listen anyway.

When my mother moved from her home into a smaller downstairs apartment, she had nowhere to store her china and glassware so I gladly took it.  I think I have a service of 8 along with some parfait dishes.  I'll update with info of when she acquired it and where.  Mom had received this set from her mother-in-law in about 1960 when they moved into their home in White City. 

I received my maternal grandmother's set (Maida Hope Cottrell Webb) either when they cleaned out her house after her death or when my mother moved and she had been storing it.  I couldn't let it be given away.  There is at least a service for 8 and is in such good condition.  She was married in 1928.  I'm not sure how old the china is.

Somewhere in the last couple of decades I gladly took the silver set of my paternal grandmother Wanda Peterson Kincaid.  I think my parents had it but never used it and I couldn't let it be given away.  My parents had received it from my dad's Aunt Alice somewhere in the 80s.  Wanda had given it to her sister Alice when Wanda moved from the area in about 1966.  It's still in the flannel storage pockets and has the label "Leyson-Pearsall", a jewelry company in Salt Lake City.  There is a service for 8 plus many serving pieces and a salt and pepper shaker.  On Thanksgiving 2019 since we had only adults there, we set out Grandma Webb's white with gold china, her goblets and Wanda's silver set.  All were willing to shine the silver beforehand and hand wash all pieces afterwards.  It was so fun.  One item we found was the tiny matchbox shown in the picture below.  I had never seen it before - it was tucked in one of the storage pockets.  It still has a full set of matches.  

I love all of my china/silver sets and need to make an effort to use it more often.  I have a couple of daughters-in-law that may be willing to take some of it when I am gone, but I'm not sure where it will all end up when we have to downsize or when I am gone.  I hope someone can appreciate it as much as I do.