52 Ancestors In 52 Weeks: Handed Down

1 December 1924 Bloomington, Osborne County, Kansas

Savoring the aroma of the coffee beans, I placed them in the grinder. Making that first coffee pot of the day has become such a ritual to me. As the owner of Mamie’s Cafe, I want to greet each day’s guests with strong cups of coffee. My customers like to check my cookie jar for fresh baked sugar cookies to complement their coffee. Often, my husband Lafe will wander in from outside chores to grab a mug. With the post office next door, the postmaster comes over for a cup to take back to his office. I carry a small stock of groceries, and often children will stop by to get supplies for their mothers. When the coffee is on the stove, Mamie’s is open.

~Naomi Ruth (Stevens) Boultinghouse
aka Mamie

1 October 1930 Alton, Osborne County, Kansas
Taking the coffee grinder off the shelf, I am always reminded of my mother Naomi. She gifted me with the grinder so I would be able to get a coffee pot going in the morning. Mornings on the farm get started early…getting up with the chickens I say. My husband Andrew likes to have a cup before heading out to the barn. He says it gets him oiled up so he can get all his work done. Shortly, he will be back to eat his breakfast and have another cup before he heads out on his horse to check the pastures. Soon, I will awaken my two small daughters Merna Mae (age 5) and Mary Lee (age 1). A farmer’s wife is never done with her work.

~Isabella Mary (Boultinghouse) Storer

1 October 1989 Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
It was difficult breaking up Mother’s housekeeping goods as she was moving to a retirement home. We packed many things to go to auction. The treasures my sister Mary Lee and I divided up between us would not resemble heirlooms to some folks. Those treasures were items that touched the hands of our grandmother and mother…just everyday kitchen items. We picked items from cupboards, cabinets, and hutches. One of the items I chose was Grandma B’s coffee grinder. She had gifted it long ago to my mother, her daughter. I brought it back from Kansas…I knew my daughter MaryAnne would want it. My daughter is the family history storyteller, and she treasures these props. Let’s see how she uses it.
~Merna Mae (Storer) Slabik

1 December 2024 Waynesboro, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Carefully, I had placed the coffee grinder above my kitchen cabinets. I had made a vignette with the grinder and a Golden West coffee can along with a wooden rooster and a chicken lamp. They are all symbols of my family: my Great Grandma B’s cafe, my Grandmother Storer’s chicken coop, my mother’s folk art, and my childhood wish of becoming a cowgirl. And so those story prompts inspire me…
~MaryAnne (Slabik) Haffner