Reclaiming the Past

Oh, hey. Is this thing on? Been a minute since I’ve posted, and suddenly, the view from my desk has changed over from Winter’s brittle, snow-covered branches into an eruption of Spring’s cool, breezy leaves of vibrant lime. Anyway, pretty cool new piece to share with you. And by new, I mean old. One of the first pieces of furniture my grandparents bought after their marriage.

Teel Bench Before

Teel Bench Before

In tough shape after decades of love, my mom thought perhaps I could “do something with it”. She remembers it gracing the living room of their farmhouse when she was a little girl, and it was fun to see her get lost for a moment in the memories and nostalgia the table holds for her. “I remember they always had a stack of magazines displayed on the lower shelf.” Farmer’s Almanacs, National Geographics, Readers Digests, no doubt, as those were the stacks I remember being ever-present at their house as I was growing up.

Theirs was the quintessential rural meets urban love story. My grandfather, Robert Ritchey Teel. A curly-headed farm boy who grew up surrounded by the rich, fertile fields of west-central Illinois during the depression. My grandmother, Ruth Jean Teel. A beautiful, blond city girl who grew up surrounded by the bright lights, big buildings and honest shoulders of Abe Lincoln’s heritage in our state capital of Springfield, IL.

Ruth Jean Teel

Robert Ritchey Teel

Their hearts would find each other at the U of I (Go Illini!) and would merge to establish a life, a family and a deeply rooted legacy against the bluffy backdrop of Schuyler County, IL. They would not merge, however, before my grandmother’s father, my great-grandfather Clarke Woodruff, made sure the outhouse at the old farmstead was replaced with indoor plumbing. “Their marriage will never last if that girl doesn’t have indoor plumbing!” True story, and one of my favorites.

Teel Bench After

Teel Bench After

So, this precious little table finally receives its homecoming. Its repurpose. Its restoration in our home on the north side of Chicago. And rural meets urban once again.