The Lavalier

For many years I thought it had been lost. Several moves and three kids later…

I know, to lose this would be unthinkable.

Each time I remembered, I was OK thoroughly embarrassed. I’d told no one. That is, until I found it!

Hallelujah and Happy Day! It wasn’t lost, per se, it was only mislocated delocated temporarily otherwise located. Whatever!

It’s been reyoubetchacovered. Yep.

This is my great aunt Bertha and me in 1980. She was 72; I was 21. It was the only time I visited her on the farm in Port Angeles while she was living. It was on this visit she gave me the necklace.

Her mother Orah owned the lavalier–a gift from Orah’s husband Elmer–and Bertha wanted me to have it.

Not only is the lavalier an heirloom and a gift, we discovered its age and the origin of the gift from a mini-diary Elmer kept. He kept a vintage blog–of sorts–and only wrote between December of 1918 through August 1920. It’s a tiny but mightily packed notebook. There will be more from Elmer, soon.

Although he penned few words, he jotted down prices. You may have noticed above where he wrote “lovelaier.” What else could that be? He paid $24.30 for the ruby and diamond necklace, a gift for his wife, likely for Christmas, in 1918.

I find no photos of Orah’s three daughters wearing the lavalier. Not one. I imagine it was solely worn by Orah, and when she passed in 1952, it rested until coming to me.

It was required the necklace be found. Because, you see….

Orah wearing lavalier

My wedding, wearing lavalier

Orah

…someone, a few years later, wore it on her wedding day.