One of my favorite things about the antiques in my house is that every one has a story. The most special ones are those that were owned by my ancestors, whether it be a small trinket, or a piece of furniture, each one has a tie to those that helped form who I am and I love it!
One of my most unique items is a chair that belonged to my gr-gr-grandpa Milton Hight Gentry. As far as family stories, I don't have many that flesh him out as a person. Milton was born in 1843 in Indiana. He was a farmer by trade and he and his brother and father served in the Civil War. His brother was badly wounded and lost a limb at the battle of Antietam. He married Flora Pribble in 1873. The family moved to Woodson Co., Kansas in the mid-1880s, where they stayed for the remainder of their lives.
When I was first starting on my research of this side of the family, I found a cousin who had the large research collection of an aunt of hers. My mother and I spent several long days digging through boxes of unorganized research of this cousin, digging up precious nuggets of info and pictures that I only might be able to locate in my lifetime on my own. When we were there one day in that hot garage sifting through papers, my cousin motioned to a box that held pieces to this chair and told me that if I would do something with it then I could have it. Of course, I jumped at the chance! A few years later I had it put back together and have enjoyed it ever since. I can just imagine Grandpa Milton reclining in it:)
