Heirlooms from Marion Alston (d. 1885) - 52 Ancestors #24

For this week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge from blogger Amy Crow Johnson of No Story Too Small, the theme is Heirloom.

I have many family heirlooms and I am lucky that I have ancestors who saved treasures and passed them down. A little over a year ago, I received the following small box from my mother.

Fittings off Mother's Glasses.

On this small box is the handwriting of my great-grandmother, Marguerite (Lysle) Hunter (1876-1967), referring to her mother, Marion Helen (Alston) Lysle, who died in May of 1885, in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, when Marguerite was not quite nine years old and her brother, George Barton Lysle, was not quite seven.

After Marion died in 1885, leaving a husband and two young children, apparently all of her belongings were given away or disposed of. Marguerite managed to keep these "fittings" from her mother's eyeglasses as the only remembrance that she had of her mother.

Here is a photograph of Marguerite and her younger brother, George, several years before their mother's death (I previously shared this here):

Marguerite Lysle and George Barton Lysle

I have written about Marion Helen (Alston) Lysle, my second great-grandmother who died at age 35 a few times before. It appears that there are a few more heirlooms from Marion's life than just these eyeglasses fittings.

Almost Wordless Wednesday ~ Alston Twins Circa 1860, where I analyze the photograph I have of the young twin girls.
Marion Alston ~ Matrilineal Monday, where I follow Marion in census records.
An 1873 Wedding Invitation, where you can see the beautiful invitation to the wedding of Marion Alston and George Lysle.
Sympathy Saturday ~ Marion Helen (Alston) Lysle, where I share her death record.