Christian Frederick Bernhard Lybbert (CFB) purchased a gold pocket watch around 1909 when he lived in Uintah County, Utah. A century later, in 2010, this cherished timepiece came into my possession. In this account, I will share the history of this watch and the story of how I was so fortunate to inherit it. Much of what I know about its journey through the generations comes from my father, Kay Lamont Lybbert, the youngest son of Christian Fredrick Bernard (CFB's grandson) and Belle Lybbert.

CFB became the original owner of the watch presumably by purchasing it for himself. The approximate date of purchase is established by the serial number (2141975) found on the movement. The Pocket Watch Database indicates this watch was manufactured in 1909. It was most likely purchased shortly after that time.

CFB was not a wealthy man and so you might wonder, as I have, how he came to possess such a beautiful watch with a solid gold case. In my research on the history of this particular make and model, I found:

• an advertisement published in a weekly publication from this time period (see Image-1)
• a 36-page sales brochure published around 1909 by the watch's manufacturer (see Gallery-1).

Browsing the brochure provides insight into how he might have acquired the watch. Imagining CFB reading the marketing material, it's easy to envision him deciding to place an order and committing to the $2.50 monthly payment. This would have made him the proud owner of a beautiful gold watch, inscribed with his initials.

Through the Generations: The Journey of the Timepiece

In the photograph of CFB and his six sons at the top of this page (taken approximately 1910¹), there's a watch chain just visible on CFB (sitting). Given the timing of the photograph, I wonder if this newly acquired possession maybe even played a small role in motivating him to sit for a photograph with his sons. From the traditions passed on about the watch, we know he was very proud of it.

Somewhere around 1920-22, CFB personally gave the watch to his grandson, my grandfather, Christian Fredrick Bernard Lybbert (Bernard). At that time, Bernard was 16-18 years old². Bernard proudly carried the watch with him for decades afterwards. Sixty plus years later, between 1980 and his passing in 1986, Bernard gave the watch to my oldest brother, Gary, when he was 26-32 years old and a member of an outlaw cycle gang. Naturally, Grandpa's faith in Gary was questioned in some family circles. Gary passed away unexpectedly from a massive heart attack in 2010 when he was just 56 years old while camping with his wife, Tricia, in Grand Canyon National Park. After consulting Gary's parents, Tricia determined to give the watch to me. So now I not only carry my grandpas' names (minus the Bernard/Bernhard and with CFB’s original spelling of Frederick), but I proudly "carry" CFB's gold watch. As far as I know, my inheritance of it caused no ripples of controversy. Though the youngest of Kay and Norma's three sons, I am the only remaining. Their second son, Michael, was killed in a house fire in 1957 when he was only 18 months old. At some point I will pass the watch on to one of my seven grandsons. Choosing which one will not be easy...though my son Michael's oldest boy, Christian Fredrick Lybbert, may have an edge simply because of the legacy of the name itself.

Family Relationships

I feel it's important to say something about the interpersonal relationships between the individuals in the line of descent of the watch. I have first-hand knowledge about all of these relationships, with the exception of the relationship between CFB and my grandfather. But here's what I do know about that first passing on of the watch: though my grandfather wasn't the oldest grandson, he was the oldest son of CFB's oldest son, Enoch. Enoch stayed home to work the farm until all his brothers had a chance to serve a mission. When his youngest brother, Jake, returned from his mission, Jake suggested that it was time for Enoch to go on a mission and let others run the farm². Enoch was 33 years old when he left on his mission and 35 when he was married.

CFB personally decided to pass the watch on to Enoch's oldest son, Bernard, when Bernard was still a teenager. The gift of CFB's watch meant a great deal to Bernard and he treasured the watch for decades and wore it with great pride. It was during the decades when Bernard owned it that it sustained the vast majority of its wear. My dad remembers very clear engravings with the initials "CFB" very prominent on the watch when he first became aware of it as a young boy. By the time Grandpa Bernard passed it on to Gary, the engravings were barely visible any more and remain so since. I don't recall Gary carrying the watch with him as a habit and I don't either. My grandfather (Bernard) and father (Kay) farmed together near Moses Lake, WA for decades. During those years, it would be a rare day that my family didn't see and spend time with Grandpa. Grandpa was like a second father to me and my siblings. It is no surprise to those who knew him best that Grandpa chose to give his treasured watch to his oldest grandson, Gary. He chose to do this even though Gary wasn't making the best choices at the time. He belonged to an outlaw cycle gang when Grandpa gifted him the watch, but Grandpa knew Gary very well and seemed intentional about showing his faith in him by giving him the watch. By the time Gary passed, he had gratefully found his way back to his faith, the church, and the temple--thus confirming Grandpa's faith in him.

When Gary passed and my dad recommended to Tricia (Gary's wife) that she give the watch to me, it felt very natural. Gary and Tricia had grown close to me and my wife, Char. Gary and Tricia loved golfing together and would regularly travel from Albuquerque to Phoenix so we could play a round of golf together. I was Tricia's first call when my brother passed. I immediately drove a couple hundred miles from Chandler, AZ to where they were camping in Grand Canyon National Park to comfort and grieve with her as I drove her and their truck and trailer home to Albuquerque. I'm forever grateful to Tricia that she gave me the watch. She was the rightful owner after Gary died and could have decided to keep it. Though she and Gary were married only a short time, her sensitivity to the true value of the watch to our family and to keep it in our family is a clear indication of the type of person she is and does her great credit.

Though I'm grateful and humbled to be the soul heir of Grandpa's beautiful gold watch, I'm far more grateful and humbled for the infinitely more priceless inheritance of his shared family legacy that includes:

• Love of God and faith in his Son, Jesus Christ
• Love of family and friends
• Integrity
• The value of good, hard work
• A wonderful western heritage.

When the time comes, I will carefully consider who I pass CFB's gold watch on to. It will be to someone I hope will truly value their wonderful CFB Lybbert heritage.