This is our old bedroom. We lovingly call this the Steigerwalt Suite, after my maiden name. I am in the genealogy business by hobby only. So I have inherited some nice things from my grandparents. The quilt hanging on the wall was made by my Great Grandma Floy Witmer Steigerwalt. I have fond memories of my great grandma. She lived next door, and I would walk over there a lot. We would do chores around the house together, then I would get to play some games with her. She taught me how to cook and sew while I was there. I learned a lot from my Mom too, but great grandma was special.
This is the farm that I grew up on for most of my childhood. I have great memories of playing in the big white barn. I helped milk cows, collect chicken eggs with my sister, we would build leaf rafts and float them down the drainage ditch on the other side of the brick house. I remember mom making homemade black raspberry jam, we would pick the berries at the back of the farm. I remember whenever she made fresh jam we would have pancakes for dinner with the jam on them. The little white house in the picture is where my great grandma lived. She used to bring over a glass jar and 'dip' milk right out of the bulk tank to drink. There are so many stories, gravity wagon adventures, hay wagon breaking, 200 peeps one year, baby kittens in the hay mow, baby caves that would suck on your fingers, the list goes on and on...
Right now we have two double beds in there. We used a farm theme, because that is what my people were, farmers (and carpenters).
We made this shadow box. It has a cow hide print fabric backing...In there are pictures of my grandparents when they were first married (Karl and Normalea Barber Steigerwalt). My Great Grandparents (George Washington Steigerwalt and Floy Witmer Steigerwalt), plus their family, Verna, Walter and Ray (and my grandpa Karl). Also Charles and Mary Alice Steigerwalt my great-great Grandparents. The fair ribbons hanging on the outside are my grandpa's. He earned them when he was seventeen year's old in 1944 at the Ashland County Fair, he was showing a horse.
This clock as well as the picture frame on the farm picture are built with barn wood from Grandpa Karl's barn. Not the one in the picture, but from about 1/4 mile down the street from it. My sister and brother-in-law had it made for me for Christmas.
Lastly, my Grandpa Karl's diploma from 8th grade. In those days, you did not have to graduate from High School. He opted to work on the family farm. Lots of memories in this room. Some of the people I have never met (George, Charles or Mary Alice), but some day I hope to get to know them in heaven.
