Uncle Harvey's Lamp

I found it on the shelf in the spare bedroom closet the other day and was pleased to remember where it had come from, and wondered to myself just who might want it for their very own? I wouldn't say it was the most beautiful lamp I had ever laid eyes on, but it is very unique to say the least.
First I guess I should say something about just who Uncle Harvey is! Well he was Thomas Gower Rosenberg's older brother. He was in the Army during the First World War and had the great misfortune to be caught in a Mustard Gas attack while serving in France I believe it was. It was the cause of his health problems. I can't remember if he was on Veterans Disability, or just not able to do much manual labor when I first met him, but he was and will always be one of my most unforgettable characters.
He had such a wonderful personality. You could always be sure he was ready to play a game of cards any time of the day or night. His passion when I would visit, was Canasta. I don't even know if anyone plays it anymore, but we had a great time with it any time I had the opportunity to visit him in his home in Cedar City, Utah. Of course he was an awful cheat, but then who cared, it was such fun just to spend time with Uncle Harvey.
I remember him in his work shop in the garage in back of his home. He spent hours out there working with wood. He glued any number of pieces together and then he would put the block he made on the lathe and turn it into a lamp base. This one was a gift he gave me oh, I would say about 50 years ago. I guess it could be concidered an antique now. It needs a lamp shade, but so far as I know it works perfectly. Who in all this big wide world would like Uncle Harvey's one of a kind lamp? Beside me that is? For years we used it in our home, but since we moved here
to Paso Robles, it has had that special space on the shelf in the spare bedroom - just waiting for someone to claim it and remember that very special man who put those pieces of wood together and so carefully and beautifully turned it into the shape it now is. I can't help to think that Uncle Harvey still lets his light shine in a lot of places, just not here at this time. I may just have to do something about that now that I think of if.
Uncle Harvey was a great prospector as well. He had laid out claims all over Cedar City for Iron.
If you didn't know, Cedar City was the Iron Mission of the Church way back when. There is Iron Ore there, but as history goes, not enough to make a profitable business. Uncle Harvey never gave up the hope he could find a richer deposit. A very interesting fellow indeed. I wish you all could have know him. What a lovely person he was, and how I still love that dear old man.
I had the pleasure of visiting him in the Veterans Hospital the last few days of his mortal journey. In fact Dad and Mom were in town at the same time. I had spent the last few minutes I had in Salt Lake City with him. He passed away about 10 minutes after I had been there and just before the folks came in to visit him as well.
Again I have to wonder - just who will ever want Uncle Harvey's lamp?

Written this 10 day of April, 2010
by: Eileen C. Rosenberg