Rebecca Hosmer, of Anna Beck Designs, chose Paula Howard as the 2012 winner of the Modern Heirloom Contest. Here are her comments - "It's been such an honor to have the chance to read such personal stories shared by Touch of Class customers. What touched me most about the story behind Paula Howard's locket is the heart felt meaning behind it. Jewelry can be beautiful in design and valuable in materials, but the meaning it holds to the owner is what makes it truly priceless. What a wonderful soul this locket carries."
Congratulations to winner PAULA HOWARD, here is her story~
"Just before Christmas 1939, in a small town in Wisconsin, a young husband goes to the local hardware store to purchase a gift for his wife...a hardware store? What a strange place to buy a young woman a gift! Not in small town America in the 30's! He walks in and there in a glass case is "the gold locket". Although money was tight, he bought it for his wife of two years. That man was my Father, who died when I was eleven just before Christmas.
Fast forward four or so years from that time, a snoopy teenager looks through her mother's special drawer and finds "the locket", opens it and two beautiful people look out at her; her Mother and Father. She held it up to her neck and smiled as she sees her reflection in the mirror, knowing she'd never dare "borrow" it, nor ever ask to wear it. It seemed so personal and special to her Mother.
The young girl grew up and has two (probably snoopy) children of her own. Time passes, the teenager is now a senior citizen, the young recipient of "the locket" is an ever-young ninety-three year old. One day while talking, the daughter tells her Mother that the one thing she'd like to inherit is "the locket".
Shortly after, Mom gave me "the locket". Now it lives at my house, in a special drawer. I look at it, I've even worn it a few times, my daughter wore it on her wedding day, but to me "the locket" will always belong to Mom and be a symbol of the love of my Father for her."
