The Chair

I’ve walked by this chair more times than I can remember.  This petite wooden chair has sat in a corner of every home my grandparents have lived; a spare bedroom, an office, somewhere out of the way.  The color of the wood is dark with some amount of carvings are the top, it has a little bit of a cushion on the seat and the back, and it rocks.  I don’t ever recall anyone sitting in this chair and I had never given it a second thought as people have pieces of furniture in their homes as decoration that have little or no significance, so it never crossed my mind that this chair would be of significance to me or our family.  

Something about this chair has always drawn me to it. I knew it was different from anything else; it is simple and It’s style has never really matched anything else in my grandparents house but that is what made it special to me but I didn’t know how special it really was. 

Today this chair sits in the office at my grandmas house. The cloth seat and back have been recovered with a dark floral fabric but the wood is impeccable with no visible repairs, cracks or structural issues. 

The unique things about this chair is it is one of three things that were brought from Germany when my ancestors immigrated in the 1800’s and it folds up which made it very easy for it to be packed on the wagon train as they headed to Kansas to settle.  

I now know this chair was special enough to select it out of the many belongings of my ancestors to bring it with them on their journey.  That it was carried onto a ship to provide a moment of comfort and rest their bodies during the journey across the ocean to the new land where they embarked upon to build a new life. To think about the many who have rested on this petite yet sturdy frame and here it sits almost 150 years later, in the corner of the office in my grandmothers home.  

How many stories were told while sitting in this chair. How many family members were able to rest or find comfort upon its frame. The craftsmanship that has enabled this piece of my families heritage to sustain is incredible and makes me wonder who may have crafted such an amazing piece.   My appreciation of the chair has changed as I learn more about this simple chair that has always been there, much like the appreciation of my family who has always been there that continues to grow everyday I get older and they get older.  

Learn more about the Falk Family who carried brought this chair into my life.