Heirlooms~ Gifts from our Ancestors ~ by Lori Crecelius Roberts

I love history. I’m a history geek and claim it. I’ve always loved antiques for as long as I can remember. Through the years, I’ve been blessed to have in my possession many heirlooms from my family. As a historian, I see the value in those items that were part of my ancestors’ lives.


My father’s ancestors came to America from Germany in 1764. For as long as I can remember, the stories about their emigrating to first Philadelphia and then to picturesque eastern Tennessee in the 1780s piqued my curiosity. It’s no wonder the genealogy bug bit me at a young age.

My grandmother and I spent many hours talking about the family. She and my grandfather lived on the same home place that my great-great-great-grandfather and grandmother lived before Indiana became a state in 1816.  

As an author, the names and stories passed down through my grandmother and family members have found their way into the pages of my novels. The items from their past appear in the scenes of my stories.

I use family names in my stories as well. In my latest book, the main characters are my Crecelius ancestors who came to America from Reichelsheim, Germany in 1764.

My grandfather’s pipe from the early twentieth century was the first heirloom I received. It still has the smell of the tobacco inside. A shaving mug and brush, razor and strap, land deeds, and family Bibles are treasures that I hope to pass down someday. 

My great-great-great-grandmother’s spinning wheel that traveled from the mountains of eastern Tennessee to the hills of southern Indiana remained in the homestead until the 1960s when it spent the next fifty years with my aunt. Upon her death, the heirloom was passed to me. 

A cast iron bean pot that also came to Indiana was used during the 1700s and placed in the fireplace of the Indiana homestead. It stayed with my mother and father until this year. 

Slowly, items from the first generation in America have found their way to me. Perhaps it is fitting and proper, one who loves family history should be the keeper of the heirlooms. The items can only be enjoyed by those who see their value.