Thank you to Lisa Alzo, of The Accidental Genealogist , for this always interesting and evocative month long series about the Fearless Females of our past. The instructions for this day are as follows:
March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)
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| Agnes Laura Sigford's Brooch |
My Grandmother Sigford did not often wear jewelry, but this pin is the only piece of jewelry that I ever saw her wear. If I were going to be absolutely correct, I would have to say that I never saw her wear it. However, not long after the pin came into my possession, I noticed that she wore this pin in the only formal picture taken of her and my grandfather Frank.
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| circa 1940, Frank and Agnes Laura Sigford |
Now that there is no one left to ask, I am consumed by questions. Although the pin appears to be gold-plated, it appears to be hand-made with her first and middle initials flanking the "S" for Sigford. My grandparents never had much money, so my grandmother would never spend money on an extravagance of a pin. I considered the possibility that it was a gift from one of her children, but I was certain that there would have been big-time bragging rights so that I would have heard about it. The last possibility is that my Grandfather bought the pin for his "Pet," as my grandmother was called as a child. Was it a wedding gift? Or just a show of affection later in life? As I remember them, my grandparents were never outwardly affection, so I rather like the possibility that Agnes Laura received this pin as a gift from her husband. This seems to be an excellent working assumption.
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