52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Heirloom

This post is part of Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks for 2018. The prompt for the week of February 19, 2018, is Heirloom.

I looked up the definition of heirloom. According to Google, an heirloom is “a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations.” I wonder how many generations count? And what is considered valuable? I guess most of what my family has would be considered ephemera and memorabilia. But a few items come to mind that might be considered heirlooms. At least maybe in the coming generations as they get passed down. 

My mother has her father’s (William Liming Redles) U.S. Marine Corps sword. She also has a diamond that belonged to him that she had reset into a ring for herself. 

This sword belonged to my maternal grandfather William Liming Redles

My dad had his great uncle Louis Pendleton’s gold pocket watch that was sent to my paternal grandfather Albert S. Pendleton, Sr. after Uncle Louis died in 1939. 

Uncle Louis' gold pocket watch and one of his novels, In the Okefenokee.

The note with the watch says, "Watch sent to Dad by Uncle Louis administrators." The watch still works! Yes, I wound it up to see. Couldn't help myself.

What are some of your family heirlooms?

Catherine