Sign the tablecloth, please - Stories for my grandchildren

Many families have the tradition of the signed tablecloth; when a guest dines with you in your home, they pencil their signature on the tablecloth, and later the hostess embroiders over the name for a permanent record.

My mother kept such a tablecloth, and it came to me recently - partly because I am the designated holder of much of the family history, and partly because my sister is moving and cleaning out her closets! (Click on the individual pictures to enlarge them.)

The central motif is a family tree, with my parent's name's providing the trunk of the tree, and branches for my sister's, brother's and my own families. This section also provides a time-frame for the approximate era this tablecloth was most in use.  Barb joined the family prior to this work, but not our children are not present, so this part was embroidered between 1962 and 1966. Also, none of my nieces and nephews were married at that time, consistent with the 1962-1966 time frame.

There are more than 80 names fixed to this tablecloth - for the most part, family and friends. Appropriately, Grandmother Anderson signed at the root of the tree.

I blogged recently about Atkins "Fat Boy" Wright. He and part of his family joined us at table.

And of course, many a preacher came home with us for Sunday dinner.

Horace W. Busby was a noted evangelist of the era; he held gospel meetings in my home congregation numerous times while I was growing up. It is likely that he signed the tablecloth on one of his last visits. He suffered a stroke in 1952 (while in the pulpit in Port Lavaca, Texas, where Barb and I got married) and after several years of recovery resumed preaching in a much-limited manner until his death in 1965.

J. W. Roberts was invited home (and no doubt was served Mom's lemon meringue pie). Later he was our landlord after Barb and I got married, and also became related by marriage to a family member.

And there are a few autographs that present a mystery. Either I don't remember the name (or never met them), or because I can't make out the signature - like this one.

Perhaps this guest was a medical doctor - I've seen names like this on the bottom of prescription forms. Whoever he was, he (and some 80 others) once sat at table with my parents.