heirloom to hand down

This 1 1/2 quart casserole dates from the 1950s and is the "Snowflake" pattern.

I had met my husband’s Aunt June, the original owner of the piece, only once. Back in 1976, newly engaged, my husband (then fiance!) and I visited her at a hospital in NYC. Very frail, I remember that she spoke with me for a few minutes and then had to rest. Just in her 50s, she died of cancer later in that winter.

Some months afterward, her possessions were disbursed. My husband received her stereo “record-player” and some books. Several household items, including the Snowflake casserole, came to me.

Even meeting Aunt June for that single time, I got an immediate impression of her feisty personality--independent and inquisitive. And though this turquoise casserole is faded (mistakenly put it in the dishwasher in my early Pyrex ignorance), it is one of my favorites.