Grandma Zeller’s handkerchiefs—my keepsakes

I recently received seven handkerchiefs that belonged to my grandma—my mother’s mother. She used to sew, knit, crochet and embroider. I don’t know how to do any of those things!! I’m not sure if she made these handkerchiefs, but I know they belonged to her. Her name was Elizabeth (Flory) Zeller.

My mom told me that her family had very little money when she was growing up. She said her mom (my Grandma Zeller) had to make all their clothes, “from underwear to coats,” she often told me. I don’t know if IN FACT my grandma had to really do that, but she probably did. That means she sewed underwear for boys and girls, pants for the boys and dresses for the girls, shirts for boys and blouses for girls. Coats for the cold winters in Ohio. She had eight children, but two of them died very young. Still, that means clothes for six. Whew!  What a hard life.

I think almost all grandmas and grandpas are special. Both of my grandpas died before I was born, so I never knew them. Maybe that’s why my Grandma Zeller remains special to me.

I treasure these handkerchiefs which are often referred to as hankies. We use facial tissue today to blow our noses or wipe sweat off our foreheads. Most of us don’t use hankies. So when I received these special gifts, I didn’t want to put them away in a drawer. I decided to display them in the pockets of my tops, even my casual ones. Like the way men sometimes wear a handkerchief in their suit jackets. Why not? It’s my new signature item. Something uniquely me. I wear my grandma’s hankies whenever I can and match the colors to my outfits.