Home› Welcome to the FamilySearch Community!› FamilySearch Help› Memories

INTERESTING: The fascinating subject of memorial/mourning items made from human hair

Dennis J Yancey
Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
June 20, 2022 edited June 20, 2022 in Memories

see:

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/gallery/album/958885?playSlideshow


How many of YOU have family heirlooms made out of hair?

1

Answers

  • Gail Swihart Watson
    Gail Swihart Watson ✭✭✭✭✭
    June 29, 2022 edited June 29, 2022
    IMG_3249.JPG

    I do! Here is my hair wreath.

    0
  • Dennis J Yancey
    Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
    June 29, 2022

    Is that item already uploaded to Memories?

    do you know whose hair it was made from?

    0
  • Gail Swihart Watson
    Gail Swihart Watson ✭✭✭✭✭
    June 30, 2022 edited June 30, 2022

    Dennis J Yancey, 2 unmarried sisters of my great great grandfather made this in the late 1800s. I have been told most of the hair came from their relatives, and I know quite a bit about the range of family at that time. One of the ladies had a “gift album” (the concept later morphed into autograph books), so I can presume any non family who donated hair are listed somewhere in that album.


    There is a special page in the album rimmed with black ribbon. He wrote a 3 page love poem about undying love. While he recorded only his initials, I found only 1 man in that tiny town’s 1860 census who had those initials and was her age (both around 21). He died of typhoid in Virginia in 1862 or 63, serving with the Union Army. I don’t have my computer on and I’m going by memory at the moment. I’m sure the other sister also lost her intended, but his identity remains unknown. Both sisters never married and stayed busy making all kinds of things. I have inherited many things they made, including the hair wreath.

    0
  • Gail Swihart Watson
    Gail Swihart Watson ✭✭✭✭✭
    June 30, 2022 edited June 30, 2022

    This is the sister whose gift album I inherited: Nancy J McClure (M189-67Q). I've uploaded photos of her and her sister's wreath.


    Edit: By the way, Dennis J Yancey, I'm sure you have seen me reference a business ledger I inherited (https://www.familysearch.org/photos/gallery/album/824354?cid=mem_copy). I have come to the conclusion that it was owned by the father of Nancy J Mcclure, since I discovered her father owned a store.

    0
Clear
No Groups Found

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 27.4K FamilySearch Help
  • 143 Get Involved
  • 2.9K General Questions
  • 473 FamilySearch Center
  • 515 FamilySearch Account
  • 5.1K Family Tree
  • 3.9K Search
  • 5.1K Indexing
  • 725 Memories
  • 374 Other Languages
  • 36 Community News
  • 7.2K Suggest an Idea
  • Groups