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.