I didn’t know much about my family’s history growing up. I don’t think my mother did either. I remember that my grandparents’ house was filled with a collection of treasures, and we had no idea whether they had been picked up at some house sale or whether they were legitimate family heirlooms. Some of my family have been here since the revolution, some of them came here before the civil war, and my dad only came here after he married my mom. For at least 3 generations, this officer’s sword has been in my mother’s family, and we believe it came from a Barr or a Keplinger who fought in the civil war. While much of its history is unknown to us, it has hung over a dining room table for at least 3 family generations. To us, it represents many fond memories of family dinners and holidays. It also represents our history of living here, and reminds me of all of the stories my grandparents and their possessions told. It represents a history that began in Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands and continues here in America. While much of the sword’s literal and physical history has been forgotten or lost, it serves as a reminder to my mother and I, and perhaps even to my grandmother at a time of what life was like growing up.
 

– Hayden Keene

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more