The Table
When my mother died, I inherited her dining room table. Our granddaughter married and needed a table, we gladly offered it, the chairs, the buffet and hutch for her first home.
As I grew up this was the only dining room table I ever remembered. As I looked forward to giving Bethany and Joseph the table, memories of all the people who had sat at this table ran through my mind. I decided to write a letter to let the newly wed owners so they could know all about the people who had enjoyed the hospitality around the drop leaf dining room table that lived in my parent’ home for so long. To know it’s heritage. I cry each time I reread this epistle.
Dear Bethany and Joseph,
I am very excited to be in your new home as your table, chairs, buffet, and hutch. I like where I am placed. I am already enjoying some of the beautiful things you are putting on my shelves. Through the years, I have had many items on my shelves, in the drawers, and on my table. I wanted to share some of my heritage.
Your great grandparents, Andrew Tyler and Naomi Suffridge Fawbush purchased me around 1950 when they moved from Brazil to Shelby, Ohio. I was one of the first nice items of furniture they purchased. I am Heywood Wakefield furniture, and I think I am made in Ohio. You can research me on the internet.
Over the years I have had many people seated at my table. The first were my original owners, your great grandparents, your grandmother (CeeCee) along with her brothers, Andy and Greg. But I have a great heritage of entertaining many friends and relatives.
I am sure the first relatives to be seated in my chairs were Katherine and Bob Thompson with their son Jimmy Robert. They lived very close to us at the time. Katherine is your great-grandfather’s sister. She was like a sister to your great-grandmother. I remember hearing lots of laughter when they were seated around me.
Next Jackie and Charles Vandeventer would have enjoyed a feast on me. They lived in Ohio too. Jackie is your great-grandfather’s youngest sister. They had no children at the time they first ate with us. But later their two children, Craig and Patti joined them to feast on the wonderful cooking Naomi placed on me.
Great-Great Grandparents Lillie and OP (Theopolis) Fawbush came with son, Jimmy, the youngest of the clan. There really was lots of laughter and storytelling, because OP was the best storyteller. Lillie, though, was very proper and kept him in line—when she could. She hid her snuff bottles and got after OP when he snuck out for a smoke!
Ruth (your great grandmother’s favorite sister) came with her son, Wayne. Wayne and Patti (your grandmother) were only a month apart in age, so they played well together. When they came, they brought your great-great-grandmother Roxie Suffridge. I remember the great pinto beans and corn bread she cooked and put on me. Yummy.
Naomi and Tyler (your great-grandparents) loved to entertain. They often had couples to eat at my table that they got to know during those years they were in Ohio.
The next thing I knew, I was being packed up and taken to Norfolk, Virginia. We were on a base with many other military men and women who were attending the Armed Forces Staff College. It seems we had a party on my table every weekend.
Before I even rested enough to enjoy the visitors, we were packed up again and sent to Memphis, Tennessee. I also had lots of parties at my table. One was Patti’s (that’s your grandmother) 16th birthday party. She had a pajama party. But before they stayed up all night, they sat around me and had dinner and cake. I had many dinner parties placed on me. But one memory is this is the first time the family prayed together and asked God to bless the meal that was to be served. Your grandmother had become a Christian while in Memphis. She heard about families saying a blessing before they ate. She asked her parents if they could do that too. They said yes. Many blessings have been said at this table since then.
Soon we were off again. I was being packed up. This journey was the longest I had ever experienced. I was sent across the Atlantic Ocean. When I was unpacked, I was in England. What an experience. I loved my new home, but Patti (your grandmother) was gone a lot. She left every Sunday afternoon for Bushy Park, London to attend a boarding school. She returned on Friday late afternoon. I missed her eating at the table, but her mom and dad especially missed watching her enjoy her junior and senior years in high school. She enjoyed special meals on me during the weekends and summers, though.
In 1958 she left me for a whole year to go to college in the USA. I have a special memory of that time. It was Easter, 1959. She had not been at my table for many months. Your great-grandfather wanted to do something special for her. He decided to record the Easter service at the base chapel. But he also wanted to record the family sitting around me and talking during the Easter meal that Sunday. Tyler placed the recording device under the table without letting anyone know it was there. You can imagine how much Patti enjoyed that when she received it while at Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee. But there is more to this story. I heard it amid much laughter while the family sat around me—and maybe some complaining. The story goes that as Tyler put the recorder under me to record the family, he unknowingly ran the tape back too far, thus cutting off the last of the chaplain’s sermon! So, Colonel Fawbush called the chaplain and asked if he would preach the end of the message again and Tyler would record it. The problem was the added recording sounded with an echo because no one was in the chapel. SO the whole family went to listen to the sermon again. They coughed and rustled paper to make it sound as if people were filling the room.
During those years in England, I entertained not only officers on base but English neighbors. It was a good time. Again, I was packed up and sent across the ocean. The next stop was Amarillo, Texas. Patti again was in and out. She was attending West Texas State College. A few times she brought friends by to sit by my table. I do remember the time a young man, Henry, came by to take her on a date. I did not see a lot of Patti. She was away at college or on summer mission trips.
In Amarillo the entertaining at my table was most interesting. Tyler was a department director of the training school on Amarillo AF base. Many young international officers attended this training. I had men around my table from Saudia Arabia, Iran, and Iraq. Naomi would serve delicious food from the buffet. We continued to celebrate family birthdays around me.
Of course, we moved again. In 1961, I moved with the family to Miami, Florida. Patti did not move with me. I saw her again in December 1961. She did not come alone. She brought that young man, Henry Webb and a friend, Tae Rim Kim for Christmas. What a celebration we had around the table as we rejoiced over the engagement of your grandparents. That year we had crab legs, mangos, and lots of tropical fruit to celebrate.
The next time I remember your grandmother was 1968. Suddenly she was a family of four. Your father, Chuck was 10 months old. Your Uncle Craig was almost three. What a mess they made on me. But I loved having small children around me again.
While I was in Miami, many friends and family came to see me. Jimmy (Tyler’s youngest brother), Anne, and their four boys, Jimmy, David, Joe, and Jon came for a good visit. They brought your great great grandparents too. Lillie and OP again brought lots of laughter to my table. Ray (Tyler’s oldest brother) and Shirley came with their daughter, Mona. Ray and Edna (Naomi’s sister) Patterson came. They did not stay with us because their daughter (Carolyn) and her husband Paul were living in the Miami area at the time. Carolyn and Paul Smith and family sat around eating on me many times over the years. He was a music minister in Coral Gables.
One special visit I remember around me was in 1989 when your parents, Chuck and Diane came to visit on their honeymoon. Tyler was not well enough to attend your parents’ wedding, so they came to see him. You will have to ask your parents some of their memories of that time.
Some sad days were experienced while people sat around me. I remember the food that laden me when Greg and Ashira were killed. I remember the sorrow too when Tyler had his stoke and never again sat at my table again.
My final move with the Fawbush family was in 1990 when the house in Miami sold. Your great grandfather died in January 1991. I moved with Naomi into her new home in Jacksonville, Florida early in 1991.
This is when I met you, Bethany. Your great grandmother was so proud of her first great grandchild. You and your family ate many good meals around me.
I especially remember the time all six of Naomi’s great grandchildren ate around me. Your Uncle Andy, Aunt Lin and Andrew, Tyler, Karen and Michelle ate at this table so often. I loved it because they lived so near. How I loved it when your great grandmother made her pork chop spaghetti. Sometimes we had more than I could seat, and then we would add another little table. Memories like that will never fade.
I am now in your home in Auburn, Alabama. I want you to enjoy me. I want you to enjoy entertaining others. I want you to enjoy cooking for your sweet Joseph and serving those meals on me. My travels have been many. It will be interesting to see where you and Joseph take me.
With appreciation for your care in the years ahead,
Your Dining Room Furniture