Bud vase likely donated to church bazaar in 1940s

By Theresa Knapp 

What began as a simple estate sale purchase in Texas has turned into a cross-country story of history, memory and connection, culminating in the return of a small glass vase to the family of the woman who once owned it.

Gwen Glass of Texas bought a hand-painted bud vase at an estate sale in fall 2023. Months later, in January 2024, she heard something rattling inside and carefully removed a tightly tucked note.

The message read: “Mrs. Ernest Wellman, Upton Massachusetts, Dec. 9, 1940.”

Intrigued, Glass set out to find the family behind the note, hoping to return the vase. Initial efforts proved unsuccessful, and she eventually set the item aside. But more than a year later, she decided to try again. This time, an online search led her to the Upton Historical Society.

Glass contacted the group through Facebook, asking for help in locating relatives of “Mrs. Ernest Wellman.” She said she expected nothing in return, but felt compelled to try.

“It was like finding a message in a bottle,” Glass said, noting the vase had traveled from Massachusetts to Texas. After the recent loss of her mother, she said the discovery took on deeper meaning, reinforcing how everyday objects can carry unexpected emotional weight.

Members of the historical society, including local researcher Barry Lynn, began tracing the name on the note. They identified the original owner as Hazel Wellman (1893–1977), wife of Ernest Wellman (1895–1979). The note, written when Hazel was 47, had remained hidden inside the vase for 85 years.

Genealogical research revealed the couple had two children, Donald Wellman and Dorothy “Dot” Wellman Francis. Further investigation into family records and obituaries led to Dorothy’s descendants. One of whom, Mary Hurlburt - a longtime member of the Upton Historical Society - turned out to be Hazel Wellman’s granddaughter.

When contacted, Hurlburt immediately recognized her grandmother’s handwriting and was deeply moved by the discovery. She recalled her grandmother’s love of flowers and said she likely owned many vases, possibly donating some to church events over the years as the church was very important to her. 

Hurlburt, who grew up in Upton and later moved to Maryland, said she was thrilled by the unexpected connection and eager to have the vase returned. She told Lynn, “It was meant to be.” 

After the vase was returned to Mary Hurlburt, the Upton Historical Society received this message from Gwen Glass in Texas: 

“Mrs. Hurlburt received it and the items I sent. I got a beautiful letter from her with a picture too. I am so glad this ended this way.” 

Lynn says that members of the historical society were grateful to play a role in reconnecting the piece with its family, bringing a decades-old message full circle. For those involved, the journey of the small glass vase, and the note hidden inside, has become a reminder of how ordinary objects can carry extraordinary stories across generations and miles.