Bonny Howe

This is my coat from when I was really small (in the mid 1970s). My grandparents had those gas space heaters that you see sometimes in older homes. I liked to stand in front of them to get warm. One time I got too close..

Apparently, my granddaddy acted fast and put it out, which according to my brother made me mad. I may have been a little quick tempered back then.

The coat has been at my mom’s house all these years. We recently rediscovered it when getting the house ready to sell. I think she held on to it because it is a part of a story that has often been retold. It’s a funny story that could have been tragic.