Grandmothers' China

Jorjanne

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, which has me reminiscing about my grandmothers. (Stay tuned for memories of my mother!) I have been fortunate to have such strong and beautiful examples in my life as these women have been. 

I dearly loved my Granny Zorn, although I have been told she could be difficult to get along with because she was brutally honest.

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 I am pretty sure I was Granny’s favorite; whether that was because I was the youngest grandchild or because we both loved the color red, I don’t know. 

Granny and her brother, Uncle Ab, lived together and would come over for dinner almost every evening. They were my babysitters when I was little, which was before the time of car seats. I remember sliding around on the big back seat of her big ol’ red car - told you she loved red! 

My Grandma Tucker always amazed me with her humility. She had very little and nothing was fancy in her home, but she shared everything she had.

 You could never leave her home with an empty stomach or empty hands. She put up fruits and vegetables by freezing and canning all summer, just so she could put a jar of something in your hand as you walked out the door. 

Her heart was abundantly full of grace and love, but she never realized just how great an example she was. At the time, I didn’t appreciate her sacrifice as much as I do now. She accepted me as her own, even though I was not biologically hers. Her son was my sisters’ father, but my mother remarried after his death, then had me. I never felt a difference in her love. I hoped that my children would get to know her as well, but she passed away when they were very young. 

Nanny (my mother’s mother) has always had a full table - both the food on it and the company sitting there!

 She worked hard to have lunch prepared for my Papa, uncles, and all the men who worked on the farm. In the summer, you could also find my sisters, cousins, and me filling our plates. Even now, there is usually at least one “stray” in attendance for holiday meals - anyone is welcome to join us at any time. There is no need to worry about whether there will be enough; she hosts such a feast that all of our extended family takes home leftovers and there is still more! Although she is blind in one eye and can hardly see out of the other one, and we are up to about fifty in our family, she still has to fix everyone’s favorite dishes. We have tried to simplify, but she just can’t stand it. Her spirit of hospitality knows no bounds!

I have inherited sets of china from my grandmothers who have already passed away, and I love to host family gatherings using my grandmothers’ china mixed with my own Lenox Federal Platinum. It brings a touch of nostalgia that my guests can appreciate, while adding some whimsy to a formal place setting. 

You can achieve the same look with china, stemware, or silverware from your own family members, or even china found at thrift shops or yard sales. Choose patterns that have a similar color scheme or design and use solid-colored linens to show off the patterns on the china. This will give a playful but cohesive look, instead of appearing thrown together. 

Mother’s Day is a perfect time to incorporate your mother or grandmother’s china with your own. Host a lunch to celebrate the women in your family or to honor the memory of those who have gone on. How sweet to reminisce together over a meal served on beautiful dishes belonging to beautiful women!