Most of us have things we treasure that belonged to our Father or Mother, and then we have things that have been handed down through the years and kept in the families such as things that were bought or handmade.This site is dedicated to those ancestors that passed things that meant a lot to them through the years. To perserve them even more Ann and I have created this page to keep the memory alive.
If you have a family treasure that you would like to share with us, please send a picture along with a story that you can share about the treasure to Ann (Jobe) Brown or Freida Wells .
Mary Alice and Alfred have so many beautiful crafts and collections that they could not be contained on just one site. Be sure and vist their other heirloom sites, below.
Christmas Crafts by Mary Alice and Alfred - a combined effort of Mary Alice's sewing, painting and creativity, with Alfred's expert craftsmanship. Thee crafts makes you wish it was Christmas everyday.
Quilts and Quilt Blocks - quilts, like these, cannot be found today.
Dolls and Accessories - beautiful homemade dolls that you just want to cuddle
Antique Coin Banks - some very unusual banks
My mother made this footstool in 1940 in Girls Home Maintenance Class. The wood came from my Grandfather in a round about way. There was a lady in Sedan, Kansas that my grandfather knew. Her name was Nell Severns. She owned a two story house in the country that no one lived in. He thought my grandfather was a good and trustworthy man never trying to rip people off and told him if there was some good wood out that and if he wanted any to go and get it. So he went out and inside was a Walnut staircase so he got some of that wood.The school put out an activity book each year with tickets to balls games, programs, etc and you could get in for free. Well my grandfather traded the school some of that wood for an activity book as my mother was in the band and she got in for free. The year she took this class they made footstools and the very wood he had traded to them my Mother used to make this footstool. I know at one time in the 1970's it had red leather cover and now had this nice material that she bought. I am so happy that they all saved it. This will be an heirloom that I will certainly pass on to my Son Robert.
One of Mary's Sewing Labels.
Mary crocheted this baby spread for her grandson, Robi in the late 1960's.
These two irons were carved by Alfred and then hand-pained by Mary Alice.
This heart plaque was carved by Alfred and then handpained by Mary Alice. It was made during the late 1980's or early 1990's.Many of the items shown here were a joint effort.
Mary Alice and her daughter, Freida, used this curling iron during the 1950's. It was electric but never would work right, so Mary Alice cut the cord off. She would then heat it on the cook stove to curl their hair
In the 1970's my Aunt, Gail (Puckett) Forbes lived in Nebraska with her son Larry and his wife. While there she took ceramic classes and made this plate for her sister Mary Alice, my Mother.
This car was made of walnut wood and was stained.
This dog was painted by Freida's mother.
Alfred made this beautiful Grandfather Clock in 1976. There is a brass plaque inside that says Handcrafted by Alfred E. Hoskins 1976.
These two things were made by my Dad for me. Don't have dates for them, but do know the Washboard stand was made first. I used to fuss at him for not dating things, then he began burning his name and the date into all the wood things.
Alfred Made the top part where the mirror is.
He has made several things thru the years. Don't think any of these have dates. But he began doing this in 1988 after his heart attack and he had to retire. He has made a lot of stuff and so has my mother. They used to travel all over to craft fairs and sell their work. This Schoolhouse Birdhouse is a one of a kind. There is not another one like it even though they made several smaller one and sold, this one is bigger and not anything like the others. They even made the walnut kids and the pot belly stove inside and he made the desks. Notice I have a Flag at my school house!
My Dad used to take all kinds of wood working magazines and some had patterns. One month there were these Chuck Wagons in one of them so he decided to see if he could make one. Well he not only made one he made 3. They needed dishes for mine, Mon thought it would be nice if it had dishes, soI had some miniature metal dishes so sent to her. She made the flour and coffee sacks and he made the rolling pin also. This was a fun project we all worked on this one. My Mother even made the canvas top and ask me what I wanted on it and I said a Rocking W so that is our brand.
I use this to hold my old kitchen utensils. They mostly have wooden handles and are painted tho some have some paint gone, you can tell they have been used.
This was made from the bottom half of an old telephone box. My Dad bought the boxes as you see them he did not tear up old phones to do this, and then made the leaves on the outside and my mother lined them with felt.
This is a two drawer chest my Dad made out of an old dresser I used to have. These set on top of the dresser one on each side. He took the dresser apart and made other things out of it and stacked these together and added trim and then he gave it back to me.
