LAHARPE — The Lee family Christmas gift exchange will be loaded with sentimentality Wednesday — and a dash of competition. On purpose.
In fact, Harry and Joyce Lee have already told each of their seven children they’ll be giving them cold, hard cash, which they can do with whatever they want.
But the Lees have a hunch they’ll be quite interested in keeping the money in-house.
The couple have prepared a dozen family keepsakes the kids will be able to bid on, from an old work shirt Harry’s father, Harry Lee Sr., wore as a motorcycle mechanic a century ago, to a locket Joyce’s father gave her mother on their wedding day.
There are a number of other items with nominal retail value, but yet are most likely priceless to the family.
There’s an old sale bill Joyce’s great-grandparents used in the early days of the 20th century to sell a variety of workhorses, or Harry’s old letter sweater he wore as a student at LaHarpe High School. Joyce’s old glee club jacket is up for bid, too.
All have the common thread of sentimentality, which Joyce and Harry suspect will be just as meaningful to their children and grandchildren.
“Everything has a story,” Harry noted. “The principle of this is for the kids to get what they want, and to have a little fun.
“Plus,” he adds. “Our children tend to be competitive.”
THE IMPETUS for the Lee Family Auction came from Harry after hearing sons David and Kevin both express a desire to inherit their grandfather’s old work shirt.
Likewise, Harry also has a copy of an old photograph of his father and mother — they weren’t yet married, or even a couple — sprinkled among motorcycle enthusiasts at a rally of some sorts.
Harry figures the photo is from 1933 or 1934. (He has a larger framed copy hanging in his house.)
“Like I said, everything has a story to it,” Harry repeated. “There’s history behind everything here.”
ALSO up for bid is a small clown doll that Joyce’s father received from a great-aunt.
“She was a funny lady, kind of crazy,” Joyce chuckled.
