The Turkey Dishes

When I think about the many family traditions I have known and loved, the “turkey dishes” that graced our holiday table are one of many that are top of mind. Johnson Brothers’ Wild Turkeys Native American – plates and platters that adorned our family’s holiday table, beginning in the early 1950s. Yet they were so much more than fancy tableware. 

The first of the turkey dishes had been a generous gift from an older doctor and his wife to the doctor’s young protégé – my Dad – and his bride, my Mom. The time was the early 1950s, and the place was Conrad, Montana, where Dad – newly credentialed and eager to begin his chosen profession – was on temporary assignment while another doctor took leave to fulfill his service in the Korean War. 

Yes, the “turkey dishes” were so much more than tableware. For a lifetime, beginning on Thanksgiving each year, they signaled the start of the holiday season, the promise of a bounty of delicious food, and the official countdown to Christmas. Above all, they symbolized the gathering and celebration of family, the creation of lasting memories, and thanksgiving for the greatest gift of all – God’s promise through His everlasting word and the gift of His Son.