Family Heirloom Considered Priceless

A large number of my customers are families that have lived in the southern United States for many generations.

Unlike other parts of the country where families have a greater tendency to move around, many southern families have not only remained in the south, but they have stayed in the same small rural community for well over 100 years.

These families consider the family heirlooms that have been passed down from one generation to the next important pieces of family history and therefore considered priceless.

To better illustrate this point, I recently restored a pump organ for an old South Carolina family that asked that I not recover the foot peddles. I told them that I always recover the foot peddles as it is part of the restoration work.

They told me that they felt there were "toe spirits" associated with those foot peddles that they wanted to be left undisturbed. Needless to say I complied with their request.

I've found that unlike other family heirlooms, such as dishes, candle holders, and alike, a family's antique pump organ can hold special significance that other heirlooms do not.

Some families believe their pump organ to be a "joyful heirloom" one that has brought their family forbearers many wonderful years of happiness. And that those previous generations of family members had once gathered around their organ and became "one in mighty song."

Although in most cases those singing voices have long been silent, their memory is still considered special by their family's current generation.