Before my great-great grandparents arrived in the United
States rom Prince Edward Island, travelling across the northern plains in a covered wagon to Wyoming, they lost
one child, Ann Alexina.
She was so beloved by the family, that her father James took cuttings
of her hair before burial and wove each surviving child a momento to remember her by. Unlike traditional Momento Mori pieces
- also known as Victorian Mourning hair pieces - these were not full pieces such as a ring, brooch or bracelet -
but small tokens.
The pieces tend to be woven in intricate patterns and the ends are
sealed in wax to keep them unraveling, like the one James Stewart made from his daughter's hair. He carved each child
a box with a drawer to keep the hair in. This is especially awsome since he was a carpenter by trade.
My
great-grandmother's piece, which she took with her to Boston to work and live, and later to Maine after her marriage,
passed from her to my Aunt Mil. The piece is almost 120 years old and one of my most prized treasures.
Google
"Momento Mori" if you want to learn more about the craft.
