What Do You Do With Their Clothes?

Mother never got to the point of being ready to part with Daddy's clothing after he died. All of us kids were ok with that. It was her decision to make and we weren't going to rush her. Even after she died, the thought of getting rid of his clothes (and hers) was painful. I'd heard of others who had made quilts or teddy bears out of loved ones clothing. There are a few people in our family talented with sewing and other crafts. I have never been one of them. Sewing was never an interest of mine. But after Mother died, I wanted to give it a try. She used to sew clothes for all of us and now that she was gone, the idea of sewing appealed to me. I found a teddy bear pattern and bought some remnant fabric. My bear turned out ok. I then asked my sisters if they minded if I tried making teddy bears out of Daddy's clothes. They liked the idea. Some of my dad's denim overalls, navy Dickie pants and flannel shirts were chosen and I sewed a teddy bear for each of my sisters and myself. It wasn't easy for me, since I am far from being a seamstress. One poor bear had to have his head sewn on three different times before I got it right. First I attached it inside out, then looking to the side instead of forward, and then I finally got it right. The bears are far from professionally sewn, but they remind us of Daddy and it's a way to hold onto a bit of him. My kids have asked me to make Grandpa Bears for them too. That is one of my projects for this fall. I also would like to make some Grandma Bears out of my mom's clothes.





Lake Itasca, Sept 1983

Daddy and his favorite sweater

While using Mother and Daddy's clothes to make bears is a way to keep their memory close, there is one piece of Daddy's clothing that will not be used. It is his favorite sweater. I believe my mom said that the sweater was bought at Matt's Clothing Store in Caledonia back when my sister, Kathy was attending secretarial school in Winona. That was in the late 1960's. I don't have any pictures of him wearing the sweater that date that far back, but through the years, that sweater shows up in many pictures. It is a simple cotton, zip up blue and white striped sweater. It is probably one of the flashiest things he ever wore. Early on, he wore it for occasions where he wanted to dress up a bit, but not wear a suit. In the late 70's and 80's when Mother and Daddy went on bus tours around the country, the sweater went along. In Daddy's later years, the sweater was worn at home as well. It was an extra layer when he was chilled (which was often). And it was easy to get on and off as it became tougher to dress him. It also was machine washable, which was a bonus.



The summer before Daddy died, he was having trouble breathing and we took him to the emergency room in LaCrosse. He was wearing his favorite sweater. I remember the nurse in emergency telling him how she loved that sweater and that he better keep an eye on it or she might take it.

Maybe Daddy should have been buried in that sweater when he died. But Mother had a new suit for him that he'd never been able to wear, so that was chosen. His sweater now sits on top of a cabinet in their bedroom. I love to see it there. When we visit, I will take it down, hold it up to my face and try to find a trace of his scent on the sweater. I have even slipped my own arms into it to try to feel his embrace once more. 

Seeing pictures of Daddy in his sweater brings back decades of memories. Most of Mother and Daddy's clothes still hang in their closet or are tucked in their dresser drawers. We know they no longer need them, but that doesn't mean we don't still need them. I know that eventually most of their clothing will be given away or used to make remembrances. But Daddy's sweater will remain, just as our memories of him and Mother will.