One of the things we hear from folks when we tell them about The Heirloom Registry is, “But, I don’t have any heirlooms.”
It’s unfortunate that we had to attach a name to our registration service, but we did. And “The Heirloom Registry” just sounded catchier than “The Special Things in My Life Registry.”
But either would work. It’s not the age of an item that makes it an heirloom. It’s the story behind it.
The Heirloom Registry is simply a place to record the stories about the special things in your life. Those things can be old — or brand new. The key is that they have a story that gives them meaning. The Heirloom Registry simply ensures that story will always be easily accessible.
For Mother’s Day, my daughters created and gave their grandma a hand-painted hanging mobile. Of course, my mom absolutely loved it. An instant heirloom! By affixing a small tag and registering it, I was able to briefly tell its story and attach a couple photos (there is room for up to six) of my daughter painting it and presenting it to my mom on Sunday. It took 10 minutes. But now, if my mom would like to show it off to her friends tomorrow — or if my daughter inherits it 50 years from when she’s the grandma who “fills the world with joy” – the story of how it came to be and the memories of a very special day are as close as the nearest computer.
It is an official, irreplaceable part of Hiestand Family History
An example of the Certificate of Registration — which users can view or print for free after registering an item on The Heirloom Registry — is below.
Registration Certificate from The Heirloom Registry
This post originally ran Aug. 1, 2012. It details the importance that family cookbooks play as family heirlooms — and in turn as vital parts of family history.
By Dan Hiestand, Houstory Publishing Marketing Director
For the better part of two decades, my grandparents lived in paradise. To find this “Eden,” pull out a map of the contiguous United States, and let your fingers inch up, up, north to the Canadian border; then left, left, west to the Pacific.
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you reach the part of Washington state that isn’t there. Or rather, only bits of land are visible – tiny dots amid the cold, salty waters of the Puget Sound. It was on one of these specks, among the San Juan Islands on a place called Lopez Island, that I spent some of my most memorable childhood days.
Gommy in the garden on Lopez Island.
Lopez is a little less than 30 square miles in area, and is a biker’s paradise because of its relatively flat landscape. During the ’70s and ’80s, when my grandparents Tom and Gerri Walsh lived there, it was still a relatively unknown place compared to the vacation home-laden landscape of today — a retirees’ paradise where everyone (quite literally) waved to everyone they might pass on the road.
For me, what defined paradise as a kid was simple: spending summer days skipping glacier-flattened rocks on Fisherman’s Bay; upturning boulders to search for scurrying rock crabs; sailing to town for warm french fries and cold cokes with my brothers; hot dogs by the fire on the beach…you get the picture.
Food, of course, was a centerpiece of my memories. I suppose that’s what having fresh Northwest berries with nearly every breakfast (picked straight out of my grandparent’s garden), or dining on crab caught just an hour earlier will do.
I still remember, very clearly, Gommy (“grandma,” for our audience) baking bread in the kitchen, and Gompy (grandpa) picking long, fresh green beans for the night’s dinner.
What brought all this up for me was a video I recently watched over at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel. In the piece, genealogist Lisa Louise Cooke interviewed Gena Philibert-Ortega, who authors the blog “Food.Family.Ephemera,”which looks at how food history and family history intertwine. You can hear the full interview at the Genealogy Gem’s podcast page(episode 137).
As Gena and Lisa discussed, knowing what past generations incorporated into their meals brings a family’s history alive in a way other bits of data (such as census records and obituaries) simply cannot. The “Rhubarb Torte” recipe that Gommy submitted to The Lopez Island Cookbook– a 189-page community effort flowered with the dishes of the island’s citizens — is now my “Rhubarb Torte.” Anytime I want to take my taste buds back to the driftwood-lined beaches of Fisherman’s Bay, I’m but a few ingredients away.
Through her palate and her cookbook, a vital part of my grandma’s legacy is alive. Now, it’s up to me to make sure my heirs receive this message.
It’s been more than 20 years since Gommy and Gompy sold their house on the island, and the Lopez of today has a much different feel than the one I grew up with. I think it simply doesn’t feel quite as small as it once did. I’m glad I have my grandmother’s cookbook to remember it the way I want to.
The back page of my Lopez Island Cookbook.
For Gommy’s “Lopez Island Cookbook” Rhubarb Torte recipe, as well as some more photos, please visit our Facebook page. Do you have any family cookbooks that have been passed down, or you plan on passing down to your heirs? How about any family recipes? Please share it with our readers, and let us know what you think of our blog. Thanks!
Mike and I were thrilled to attend RootsTech in Salt Lake City. By the end of the weekend, we were both exhausted and energized. You can see why by reading this account by Dick Eastman, who writes the popular, “Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter:”
“Sponsored by Family Search, the RootsTech Conference was held for three days at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. More than 6,700 people from 49 U.S. States (why was no one there from Delaware?) and 17 countries were in the Salt Palace Convention Center for the opening day of the RootsTech Conference on March 21. I never heard the final attendance numbers, but I saw a long line of people on the opening day waiting to purchase tickets at the door. Obviously, the final number was higher than 6,700.”
To say it was big is an understatement. And apparently, it’s only going to get bigger. Much bigger.
We saw and met lots of new friends at the conference; took in sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (an event sponsored by RootsTech), mingled with genealogy’s bigwigs and heard an interesting presentation about the growing interest in genealogy of youth at the invitation-only VIP Breakfast sponsored by FamilySearch, and simply enjoyed hearing tons of great stories behind family heirlooms and houses that attendees shared with us.
The concept of preserving stories NOW before it’s too late was also a prevalent theme at the conference — and obviously something that resonated deeply with us. Below is a snapshot of some of the highlights. For more photos and info on the event, check out our Facebook page.
The Houstory Booth at RootsTech
Dick Eastman and friends
Mike and Dan Hiestand, The Houstory Brothers
Janet Hovorka (Utah Genealogical Association President); Mike; Maureen Taylor (The Photo Detective) and David Adelman of Reel Genie at Thomas MacEntee B-day party
After a week-long event that included three hunts, 12 blogs and more than $500 in prizes, the winner of the Heirloom Registry Grand Prize Package is Deb Andersland of Gainesville, Mo.
Deb won a very impressive collection of products, including a Flip-Pal™ mobile scannerand books from genealogistJanet Hovorka and Antique Trader. Mike and I want to thank everyone who participated during the week, including our sponsor blogs. We hope to put together a hunt again in the near future. We also hope that you continue to follow all of these blogs that add such important voices to the family history and antique worlds.
If the concept of saving the stories behind your family heirlooms resonated with you, don’t miss out on your chance to follow The Heirloom Registry on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and Pinterest. We’ll keep you up-to-date on the family heirloom/antique/family history universe, keep you aware of fun contests such as the scavenger hunt and provide exclusive discounts on our product line.
And remember: It’s not an heirloom without a story.
The grand prize winner will be announced on Wednesday, March 13, so make sure to check back then. Everyone who entered the hunt will be eligible to win.
You’re cutting it mighty close, but you still have just enough time to enter the Heirloom Registry Scavenger Huntfor a chance towin two pretty darn impressive prize packages — including our grand prize!
In fact, more than $300 in great products are still up for grabs — including a Flip-Pal® mobile scanner.
As you may have heard, we’ve already given away a lot of good stuff this past week for Leg 1 and Leg 2 of the hunt. These final two remaining prize packagesinclude a collection of items fans of family history, genealogy and antiques will truly appreciate. Your chance to win ends tonight when the Scavenger Hunt concludes at 11:59 PST, so don’t miss out.
Houstory is happy to announce the second winner of the Heirloom Registry Scavenger Hunt Week: Caroline Shultz of Sherwood, Ark.! Caroline was randomly selected as the victor of the second leg of the scavenger hunt, which took place this past Wednesday and Thursday.
By entering, she is also in the running for the grand prize to be announced next week. Congrats to Caroline!
For the rest of you, more than $300 in prizes still remain in the mix — including a Flip-Pal® mobile scanner. The third and final leg of the hunt is currently underway — but will end Sunday at 11:59 PST, so don’t miss out on your chance to enter.
Editor’s note: All of the participating blogs should have their scavenger hunt posts ready by noon on Friday, March 8, so make sure to check back if you don’t see their scavenger hunt post at first.
Today marks the opening of the third and final hunt of the week. By entering this hunt, you will also automatically be entered into the drawing for the grand prize next Wednesday, March 13.
In other words, what are you waiting for? Get hunting and don’t miss out!
For more information on the four (4) blogs you’ll need to visit during this final hunt — which runs today through Sunday — please make sure to see our official scavenger hunt page.
Well folks, we have a winner for the first leg of the Heirloom Registry scavenger hunt, which took place this past Monday and Tuesday: Kimberly Nagy of Downers Grove, Ill.! Kimberly will be awarded a family history prize package valued at approximately $100 that includes products from The Heirloom Registry, Family Tree Magazine, genealogists Janet Hovorka and Marian Pierre-Louis.
By entering, she is also in the running for the grand prize to be announced next week. Congrats to Kimberly!
For the rest of you, more than $300 in prizes still remain in the mix — including a Flip-Pal® mobile scanner. Hunt No. 2 is currently underway — but will end tonight at 11:59 PST, so don’t miss out on your chance to enter!
All participants will be automatically entered into our grand prize drawing next Wednesday, March 13, and you are welcome to enter each race one time — meaning you will have multiple chances to win the grand prize.
The third and final leg of the hunt — which runs from tomorrow until Sunday — will close out the weeklong event.
The first of three hunts during the Heirloom Registry Scavenger Huntweek (March 4-10) was completed last night at 11:59 p.m. PST. Congrats to all our participants! From that batch of entrees, we will randomly choose one winner to claim the first prize package. Every entree will also be entered into our our grand prize drawing for next Wednesday, March 13.
Keep in mind you are welcome to enter all three hunts this week, which will give you a chance to compete for each of the three “daily” hunt prize packages. It will also allow you to have three entrees in the grand prize drawing. Why not increase the odds, right?
For more information on the four (4) blogs you’ll need to visit during this second hunt — which runs today and tomorrow — please make sure to see our official Scavenger Hunt page.
