Siena's Story

SIENA'S STORY

In September 2011 on a trip to Washington, I read the first five completed chapters of The Gold Thimble to my granddaughter Siena.  She did not have much of a reaction, but I realized that she was about to enter first grade, and I wrote the book for at least a fourth grader or a ten-year old child, not a six year-old.  

Here is the Introduction to the book, followed by Siena's response - her first writing a few weeks later in her first grade class:     

INTRODUCTION                                                                             July, 2011

Dear Siena,

I have a family heirloom that I plan to give to you when you are older, as you are my oldest granddaughter.  It is a gold thimble that belonged to my grandmother’s grandmother.  You will be able to say that it belonged to your grandmother’s grandmother’s grandmother.  Or you could say it belonged to Rosina Farrington Stone who was your fourth great-grandmother.

   A long time ago in the early 1960s, my grandmother gave me the gold thimble and told me a story about it.  She said that her grandmother had given it to her because she was her oldest granddaughter.  This most likely happened around 1890 when my grandmother was about eleven years old.  Seventy years later my grandmother, we called Neenie Price, gave it to me since I am her oldest granddaughter.  I put it safely away and only recently took it out to look at it.  Now I want to write about Rosina’s life so you will know about your brave ancestor who lived many years ago. 

   Neenie Price also told me that many years ago, her family home burned to the ground in a huge town fire.  The flames raced up the hill; nothing could be saved.  As the family was scavenging through the ashes of the house, the gold thimble was found.  It was one of the few things rescued after the destruction of the fire.  I am so glad to have it.

   Now the gold thimble is mostly bright and shiny and has the initials RFS on it which were Rosina’s initials.  Her husband, Jeremy Stone, owned the water rights of the Empire gold mine of Grass Valley, California, which is now a California State Park, and the thimble is most likely made out of gold from the mine.  Here is Rosina’s story. I hope you enjoy it.           

                                               

                                                            With love,

                                                            Your Neenie

                                                            December, 2011


SIENA'S RESPONSE: