Memories of Otto Kennard and Margaret Thelma Bigelow Nye

Wooden Chairs and Happy Memories

Grandma Lu’s Furniture Story

Retold by Abby Wheelwright

It began in the middle of the Great Depression. Uncle Martin and Aunt Clara Matsen owned the Sugarhouse grocery store in Sugarhouse, Utah. It was a lovely store, full of interesting sights and smells. Times were hard, however, and sometimes people couldn't afford to buy food.

One day, a man came in who could not pay his bill; he asked Clara if she would accept some furniture as payment. Clara didn’t need the furniture but she was kind. She brought home the large rocker, straight armchair, and the day bed (made by Gustave Furniture Company). They were good quality, made from oak and leather.

At the time, Great Grandpa Nye was living with Uncle Martin and Aunt Clara in Salt Lake City, and attending the University of Utah.

When Great Grandpa decided to marry Margaret Bigelow, Aunt Clara offered him the furniture, to set up housekeeping with his bride. He accepted, and that was the beginning of a long tradition.

The strong and well-built furniture changed hands several times. It was mainly given to newlyweds who had none of their own. New brides sat on the chairs and entertained their friends. Brand-new babies slept on the day bed, and toddling children played under the cushions. All the time, more and more love went into those solid, comforting arms .

Each time the furniture came to a new family, it brought happy memories with it. The new owners often made changes to the pieces, reflecting their individual tastes. For instance, Margaret covered the leather cushions in a blue and red flowered fabric. Later, Barbara and her new husband antiqued them using white paint, and covered them with a red velvet material. Yet, on the inside, they were still the same, reliable oak.

Eventually they came back to Great Grandpa Nye. He was a musician who played at a dance hall at night. During the day, his wife went to work so he tended his little daughter Emma Lu (Grandma!) Emma Lu’s daddy used to put a big pillow on the rocking chair and have her nap there. With his foot, he would rock the chair, as he practiced his trombone. Emma Lu loved him very much.

When Grandma was older, she helped him remove the paint from the chair and replace the fabric. It may be that the velvet was worn or that he fancied a change. (Personally, I think he just needed a man chair.) In any case, the chair didn’t match the other two pieces, and so it remained until the furniture came to Emma Lu.

At last, it was Grandma’s turn to receive the now-antique furniture. She refinished all three pieces and restored them to their original color, and even recovered the cushions. Having little money she bought a fabric she didn’t love, intending to replace it later on. The fabric has not been changed, however; it remains a black and grey striped pattern, (and I think the furniture likes it.) Grandma has added sheepskins for an accent.

The chair, the rocker and the day bed now reside at Grandma’s home, making a cozy nook off the kitchen. It’s one of the nicest spots in the house and perfect for sitting and recalling old times. If you look very closely, you can see “Gustave Furniture Company” stamped into the wood and maybe the tiniest traces of white paint.