Our Great Stepback Cupboard

This is an absolute beautiful stepback cupboard that is being given to the Historical Society by a direct descendant of Alexander Findley.  It will be one of our most treasured  artifacts we have and one we will definitely show off to all our visitors.   Mary will give us more details on the gifts we have received from Margaret Fox Chmiel from Michigan.​

We received a letter from Margaret Fox Chmiel in 2005 stating she had a hutch cupboard that was made in Findley Lake by Harlon Knowles.  It was made of solid wood and mostly butternut.  It was made for Ellen Kysar Shum an Alexander Findley descendent, to be used as a kitchen cupboard.  Her husband Christian Shum built the house on Findley Lake where they lived.  After  their deaths ,their son, Will Shum, kept the cupboard ,  never moving it from its original place.  When Will Shum died it was moved to Oka Thompson’s home in Findley Lake and upon his death it was moved to Margaret Fox ‘Chmiels home, ending up in Michigan.  All of these people are related to Alexander Findley.  In that 2005 letter Margaret offered the cupboard to the FL & Mina Historical Society.  She put in her will that upon her death it would be shipped at no expense .  Of course we were excited to think this Findley Heirloom might be returned to Findley Lake.  Early September 2016 Stephanie Chmiel informed us of her mother’s death in June 2016. It was in her will the the cupboard be shipped to Findley Lake along with a quilt that was in Ellen Kysar Shum’s house and some photographs of Findley Lake.  On October 27, 2016 the Historical Society received all the items described above and we are very happy that they have returned home. 

Mary Norcross