Author: Barbara Burkard

Here is a picture from about 1955. Yes, that is me in the middle of the table. Imagine, these three little imps on the table, two older ones unseen and a baby — Lord have mercy!

Notice the items on the sideboard — a few of them survive to this day:

The chicken cookie jar, on the bottom right side, though the lid has been much mended  and even autographed over the years;

The egg scale, top right corner — I do remember using this when we lived on the farm. I believe we took eggs to the market along with the cook cheese and other food items. (I remember getting good money for elderberries and pickling corn!)I know the silver vase on the top left shelf was also among Mom’s things — I believe John has that.

This was a familiar site to all of us kids — Papa studying/sermonizing. The bookshelf behind him was last used by Tara Gingerich Heibert when she was pastoring at Breslau Mennonite Church. In the foreground of the picture the handle of an old flat iron can be seen; Papa had a set of them he used as bookends. Unseen on his desk is a florescent lamp. I have one of the flat irons and the lamp:

As well, I have several items from my grandparents: a glass front bookcase that Grandpa Roth bought at an auction sale. Unfortunately one door got broken and the pieces lost since I’ve had it. On the top of the bookshelf I have two silver reindeer (who have long since lost their antlers) that always sat on top when the shelf was in Grandma’s house:

Also from Grandma Roth, an electric clock that was in her kitchen, above the sink. It was originally a darker colour, I refinished it. The two birds and the green decanter I believe also belonged to my grandmothers, though to whom exactly I don’t know.

Grandma Gingerich’s rocking chair — in my mind’s eye I can see it in her livingroom at Omer’s.These are items that are important to me. They remind me of who I am by bringing to mind those from whom I came. I want to pass these items and stories behind them on to my children and grandchildren.