Monday, February 22, 2010

SECOND TIME AROUND TUESDAY-Old Confirmation Certificate



It's time again for Second Time Around Tuesday hosted by Diane at A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Worlds.

This week I'm showing my great aunt's confirmation certificate from 1907. I have it framed under glass and tried to photograph it without too much glare. This certificate is from Zion Lutheran Church in Westwood, New Jersey which was founded by German immigrants. My great grandfather Wilhelm Volz was one of the founding members. That is why this certificate is in German.

When my great aunt died her family came from out of town and I guess after they kept what they wanted they had a sale and sold the rest. Some years later my mother was out for a walk and stopped to talk to a lady a few blocks away. During the conversation my mother mentioned that she was related to the Volz family. The lady said, "Wait, I have something you can have." She went inside and brought out my mother's, aunt's confirmation certificate. It was in an old frame (not the one I currently have it in) and the price was still on it...$1.00. The lady said she had no idea why she bought it and it had just been sitting around.

At that time I was dabbling in genealogy, so my mother sent it to me. I reframed it and it now hangs on a wall in my den. My great aunt's name was Lina Katherina Volz, but we all called her Taunty. I think Taunty might be aunt in German.

When I walk through garage sales, resale shops, antique malls, etc., I'm always surprised and saddened by the things I see. Things like old photographs, certificates, etc., that no one apparently wanted. I'm grateful to that lady that Taunty's confirmation certificate is getting a "second chance around" on the wall of my den.




Click on picture to enlarge.

8 comments:

  1. What a great keepsake! And it is really pretty!

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  2. That's a beautiful story, Betty.

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  3. someone wanted you to have it, that's for sure. How crazy is that. What a lovely story and the certificate is divine! Thanks for sharing.

    -brightest blessings-
    Karina
    thasnifty.blogspot.com

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  4. I like old certificates. I am so glad you were able to back in possession of your Aunts.

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  5. What a great story. I can't believe your family got this back. The colors on this picture are so pretty. It looks great framed.

    PS. I only got one more granny square done yesterday. LOL

    Hugs, Carey

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  6. What a beautiful piece that is and how wonderful that it found your family again. I worked for Goodwill for several years and it was sad to see what families got rid of. Once we came across an older picture of a pretty older woman. We hung it on our bulletin board and we named her grandma Virginia. She hung on that board for as long as I was at that store. We felt sad that the family had gotten rid of her picture. Pat @ junkblossoms. Thanks too for letting me know I wasn't the only one who was being driven crazy by Blogger. lol

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  7. Your certificate is wonderful!
    Such detail.

    thanks for coming by

    blessings
    barbara jean

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  8. What a great idea this series of posts is. Lovely story, too.

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