The Adams Family Piano!

I explained it best in the video, but it began with my grandmother, then myself, and now my children use this piano.

I’m Kirsten LaRue Adams and this is my piano. I inherited it from my grandmother. Her name was Lorna LaRue Loveridge. I carry her middle name. In 1986 my father was serving in the military and was stationed in Germany. I was due to make my appearance and my sweet grandmother flew out from Utah to be there. She helped my mother during my delivery, and I was lucky enough to be named after her. My daughter, this is Kayleigh LaRue Adams, she’s named after her too. My Grandma Loveridge was a remarkable lady who was always serving her family and left us a legacy of love.

Grandma Loveridge was a great pianist! At the age of 16 she was playing the organ at church when my grandpa went there for the first time. He had just started working at the telegraph office in LaGrand, Orgon and would now be attending that congregation. When he walked in, he noticed my grandma playing the organ, and as the story goes, he fell in love with her right then and there. As she was accompanying the congregation, he assumed she was older than she actually was. He didn’t find out until later that she was only sixteen. He was twenty. They courted for 4 years, part of the time while my grandpa served in World War ll. They wrote letters to each other every day. Pretty adorable! When he returned from the war they married and started their family. 

In time they acquired their own piano. When I called my mother to try to find out how old the piano was she told me, “I don’t know, it’s just always been there and been used.” My mother is sixty-six years old. As we discussed this piano and its legacy, she shared that my grandma would always play it. I guess my mom and her two sisters, my aunts, would often sing musical numbers at church. Grandma would accompany them. They practiced around this piano a lot.

As a child I have wonderful memories with this piano. I can remember my cousin Lacey playing songs as a handful of us cousins would gather around it and sing. I started taking piano lessons around age eight and I too would play this piano at grandma’s when I came to visit. It’s like my mother said, I only ever remember it being there, and gathering around it with family members that I loved. My Grandma had a hip replacement and used a crutch, so I didn’t hear her playing this piano when I was a child because she couldn’t get down the stairs with her crutch. But you bet I knew it was her piano, and that she played it beautifully for so many years, almost as if she was legendary.

Then one summer, while I was in-between semesters at college, I moved in with my grandparents to care for my grandma. My grandmother’s health was declining and rather than have a CNA take care of her, my family arranged things so I could be there to care for her. I had always had a close relationship with my grandma and I was grateful I was given these few special months to be with her. 

That summer I played this piano a lot. I was quite proficient at the time. I practiced a handful of musical numbers that I played on the piano, or sang at church. As I would come up from the basement my grandma would always comment on how much she loved hearing me play the piano. It made me happy, that it made her happy. Music fills a home and gives it a special feeling like nothing else does. 

When my grandparents passed away, I was blessed to inherit grandma’s piano. I love this piano SO much. It isn’t fancy and it’s not a Grand, but it’s so special to me because of the memories tied to it, and how it connects me to my grandma. It’s like a piece of her is still with me even though she’s gone. 

Now this piano is played by my family. On Christmas Eve I play this piano while our extended family joins us for a program of “The nativity, a compilation of scripture and song.” My husband and I often gather to sing together as I accompany us. My boys, ages 9 and 12, who currently take pianos lessons, practice on it daily. My oldest, Tanner plays the piano remarkably well. I’ve often thought of purchasing a nicer piano for him, but I can’t bear the thought of getting rid of this piano. It would be fantastic to have it refurbished so we could continue to gather around it and make more memories as a family. Please help my grandmother’s legacy stay alive by helping us refurbish her piano.

When my grandma passed away, I was privileged to play “Ashokan Fairwell” at her funeral.