A Clock Well Traveled

Kemp Financial Management has been doing virtual meetings for many years, but starting in 2020, we started seeing more clients on a screen instead of face to face. This had the added benefit of getting a glimpse into clients’ homes.

In one of our virtual meetings with Scott and Vickie Wade, we heard the exuberant chime of what sounded like a grandfather clock. As startling as it may have been for us, Scott and Vickie were unfazed. This was the hourly norm. That might have been the only normal thing about the clock.  The story they shared was quite incredible.

Although Scott and Vickie have a few clocks that have been collected over time, this particular Grandfather Clock was special. It was passed down through the family from Vickie’s grandfather who had a real gift for collecting. The Grandfather Clock was made in the Netherlands around 1789. It was built in the Zaanse region of North Holland, in the city of West Zaandam, located on the Zaan River, just north of Amsterdam.

The clock has a rich history of travel in its past, (Yes, actual travel!) more than just traveling through time. At one point, the clock needed to be repaired. The only option at that time was to dismantle the clock, ship it back to a clockmaker in the Netherlands, and have the necessary repair completed by the one person who had the most knowledge of the clock’s inner workings.

Vickie’s parents, Joseph and Marjorie Davis, had to do research on where to send the clock. Vickie’s father was able to locate a clockmaker from the Zaans Clock Museum. Without knowing the clockmaker, Joseph and Marjorie trusted the process of the repair and even planned a trip around the clock to visit it while in the process of being fixed. After five years in total, the clock traveled back to the states and was reunited with the Davis Family. When Scott and Vickie were asked about the future of any potential repairs and what the plan would be, they laughed and said, “Any replacement parts must be made by hand and information about the clock is in Dutch!”

We certainly are glad to have been able to hear the beautiful chime of the clock, and even more so the amazing story behind the history of how this family heirloom had been passed down through the generations.

We also hear that the chime has become rather lulling for sleep in the Wade household. As for any unknowing house guests being welcomed abruptly by the sounds, only time will tell.

Thank you, Scott and Vickie, for sharing such a great story!

A Family Affair: It is always interesting to learn how clients find their way to KFM and the connections they have to family and friends. Shortly after Vickie's mother, Marjorie Davis, passed away, Gale, a friend of the Davis family and long-time client, recommended Sally and Mike (Vickie’s sister and brother-in-law). Once on board, Sally and Mike recommended Vickie and Scott to KFM. Even more intriguing, Rob played golf with Vickie and Sally’s father, Joseph Davis, for many years at Hacienda Golf Club long before the family became clients. All of us at KFM have greatly enjoyed getting to know each of the family members over the years.