The Joy of Giving

Cigar Box Label

Design copywrited in 1907 by O Zarling, Milwaukee Wisconsin

I received a phone call the other day from a distant relative thanking me for his Christmas gift; I could feel the emotion in his voice as he recalled fond memories of his father from something as simple as a couple of cigar box labels that I found on Ebay. His father, Otto Zarling, made the Shackelford 9370 cigars on a rolltop desk in the upper floor of a barn on the south side of Milwaukee - I think it was 13th and Cherry or someplace where the neighborhood has dramatically changed. Ron Zarling told me that his brother has the desk and an invoice from Otto's business venture. As he told me these stories I could almost imagine Otto retreating to his makeshift office each day to create his craft and then load up his horse to deliver these fine cigars to the area stores. The label was copywrited so obviously he was pretty good at this.

I have many pieces of furniture from my family that also brings back warm memories from my Grandmother Miller's diningroom set to my father's confirmation certificate and Tauf-Schein (baptismal certificate), Great Uncle Walter Sachse's wicker rocking chairs, and the trunks that my Great Grandmother Lada used to store her meger belongings on her trip to the US from Poland with two young children. There are stories within these pieces that seem to spring to one's mind when they touch or view them. My Aunts told me that the only time they were allowed to eat at the diningroom table was when their mother was entertaining their schoolteacher. I remember, as a young girl, these pieces as being the most beautiful woodcarving I'd ever seen. I can't even begin to explain my joy when Uncle Raymond said that I could have 'those old pieces of junk' from his basement.

I have 'Rockfield' also saved as one of my Ebay favorites and last year a gorgeous bowl came across Ebay from the grocery store that was in the town where my father grew up. I gave it to Uncle Marvin when he had his hip replacement along with some fruit. Was he surprised when he got to the last piece of fruit and saw the label!! He too called with the fond memories; he remembered the store quite vividly and also remembered reading the local news over the fence (in German) to the German Prisoners of War at the Rockfield Cannery. My grandfather and great-grandfather were crew chiefs for these POW's that were detained to assist in the harvest during World War II. I wonder if they knew that they would one day be remembered by the important part they played for our nation.

What kind of stories will my girls and grandchildren tell their offspring about growing up with me? I sure hope they'll be good juicy ones :-)