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Three generations and the gift of time: A Bibb family story retold for Father's Day

Leon Bibb cherishes a pocket watch that no longer tells time, but reminds him of his father and grandfather whenever he holds it.

CLEVELAND — The hands of the old pocket watch have long been stilled.  

Frozen. No longer able to tell time.  

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But in this watch there is a story and I will tell it to you just as it was told to me.  A story fit for a Father's Day of not only of fatherly love but also of a timepiece on an intriguing journey. The tale of the gold watch began when my grandfather passed this timepiece to his son, who would years later become my father.

When grandfather gave the watch to his son the world was embroiled in World War II.  

The son was in military uniform awaiting orders for overseas duty. The son had a sweetheart who was asked by the young soldier to see no one else romantically while he was away at war. She agreed but only if there was a proposal of marriage at some point.   

Credit: Leon Bibb

The young soldier could not chance losing his love. So he proposed. Having no money for an engagement ring, the young man had only the watch given to him by his father. So the timepiece stood in for an engagement ring, going from his hand to hers. The woman would now wait for her fiancé and a good time to marry. This the story of my parents, who were wed in 1942 just before Dad shipped out to war. Mother held the watch until war's end.    

Many years ago I learned this story from my parents with the understanding one day I would inherit the timepiece. My father's pocket watch came to me with my parents' passings. 

Photo: Leon Bibb, WKYC

Its hands no longer sweep. But in the gold watch are memories dating back to when my grandfather gave the watch to his son. The journey of the watch began as the younger man readied for war. But along the way came a romantic turn as the old gold pocket watch stood in for an engagement ring tying together the married couple soon separated by a world war.    

 The watch now is mine. Family heirloom?  Yes. But more than that: the centerpiece of a sweeping story handed down from one generation to the next and to one following.  

More from Leon Bibb on WKYC.com:

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