01/23/2026
Meet Papaw.
His name was Luther - but to us, he was always just Papaw.
The name Papaw's treasures isn't branding. It's literal.
About the photos:
The first photo was taken around 1966-Papaw is standing in the middle of two of his buddies. The second is his high school photo from around 1951. Long before the collections, the stories, and the storage units - this is where it all started.
Papaw was born in Ouachita, Louisiana in 1936. He grew up tough, curious, and unbothered by the heat - something that came in handy when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at just 17 years old during the Korean War. The war ended while he was in boot camp, and he was sent to Germany instead. He used to joke that boot camp was easy for him - guys were passing out from the heat while he felt just fine thanks to growing up in Louisiana.
While in the Army, Papaw earned Best Shot and even placed 10th when trying out for the rifle division. He could have gone further, but decided he was ready to come home. After three years of service, he returned to Louisiana and went to school for geology (the study of rocks - something he never stopped loving). Government jobs were limited back then, but he got lucky and landed one in Washington, DC.
That's where he met Anita, my Granny. She worked as a secretary in the same building he worked in. One day, Papaw ran into her at the grocery store and asked if she wanted a ride home. She said no. So he grabbed her groceries and started walking to his car anyway. Granny figured she wasn't about to lose the groceries she'd just paid for - so she followed. The rest is history.
They had three kids, and in 1979 moved to Johnson City, Tennessee, where Papaw was able to retire from his government job in his 40s and become a stay-at-home dad. That early retirement gave him time to fully dive into what he loved most: antiques.
Papaw started buying, selling, and trading when he was 30 years old. He knew everyone. He knew every story. He collected everything - from small curios to big, meaningful pieces of history. In 1991, he welcomed his first grandson. In 1995, his first granddaughter - me. I was attached to him at the hip. After school, snow days, holidays - Papaw was always there, and always teaching, whether I realized it or not.
Papaw passed away on December 12, 2025, surrounded by people who loved him. Before he died, I asked him what his favorite item he ever collected was.
He said:
"All of it. Everything."
Papaw's Treasures exists to honor that lifetime of curiosity, knowledge, stories, and things worth holding onto. Every item we sell carries a piece of him with it - and I'm proud to carry this forward the best way I know how.
