Comments: I recently purchased my grandmother's player piano and about 130+ rolls out of her estate.

Although I live in Houston, my parents are farmers in Iowa. Our family farm is soon to be designated a "Century Farm" (having been owned & operated by generations of my family for almost 100 years). Both sides of my family are German immigrants and the player piano was bought in the 1920's by my grandfather (who ran the local country store where EVERYONE gathered and caught up with the local news) shortly after marrying my grandmother.

My mother grew up with the player piano, taking piano lessons on it and spending many hours playing the rolls & singing along with her older sister.

To me, this piano is all about memories. As a kid, we were rarely allowed into the parlor where my grandmother kept the piano & very rarely got to play with it. It was very special when ]my brothers & I could sneak in there when Granny or Mom weren't looking & push a key to hear a note. As I grew older, the piano ceased to be used at all & was simply left hidden away behind the closed doors & we never again got to see or play with it.

After my grandfather and grandmother passed away, my mother & her brother bought out the assets of my grandmother's estate (in part with the funds I provided them in an advance purchase on the piano.) I shipped it to TX for restoration &, after a year in the shop, it was delivered shortly before Thanksgiving. My mother arrived for the Thanksgiving holidays two days later (her first visit in 20 years). Needless to say, it was a Thanksgiving I will always remember.

After the piano arrived for restoration, I visited to get a briefing on the work to be done. (this is a Schultz piano). Needless to say, I was touched to find out that the last time my grandmother had work done on the piano was a month before I was born, obviously in an intent to get the piano ready for the soon-to- arrive grandchildren. This piano will forever and always be a part of my family heritage, and every time I see it or play it, I am reminded of a simpler time surrounded by the warmth of my family. It is truly a treasure.

Marcia Kennedy
Houston, TX