JoAnn tells the touching story of how this china hutch came to be on her blog
Pieceful Afternoon. When an older neighbor named Lucille could no longer take care of herself, she was moved into a home. Rather than sell the house, her
niece decided to rent it, fully furnished, giving Lucille the hope that someday she might be able to return to her beloved home and things.
JoAnn had asked if she might purchase the small china cabinet, but the niece declined, saying she was planning to leave all of the furniture for the renters.
Soon after, Lucille’s niece came and offered the cabinet to JoAnn for free. And here’s why:
Trying to save money, the renters had been using the radiator to dry their clothes and caused a fire. The cabinet was burned, wet, with broken glass and smoke and fire damage. JoAnn thought she could save it, so she sanded and scraped for weeks. Eventually it was salvaged into a the lovely white cabinet it is today.
JoAnn says, “For several years bits of fine ash would sift down – from nooks and crannies that could not be reached to clean – it has finally stopped – 20 years later.”
