140-year-old family baptism gown worn for the first time in Arkansas
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Preserved for nearly 140 years, a baptism gown has made its way around the country, and today it landed in Arkansas.
Gretchen Seller’s family is baptizing their son in the same gown that so many other babies in their family have been baptized in.
Over 50 babies in their family have been in this gown, and it all started in 1884 in Pennsylvania. The now family heirloom has gone from nearly coast to coast, providing traditions and memories along the way.
This Christmas Eve the Seller family and more gathered to not only to celebrate Christmas, but to baptize the baby Charlie Seller one his first Christmas.
“Charlie is wearing a baptism gown that has been in my family for just about a 140 years,” Gretchen Seller said.
The long white and lace trimmed gown was a gift to Gretchen Sellers relatives in the late 1800s.
“The first one was in 1884, it was in Pennsylvania, it's been all over the country, so PA, New Jersey, in Texas, a couple of baptisms in Texas, a couple in South Carolina, this is the first in Arkansas which is really special,” Seller said.
Charlie Seller, her son, will be added to the long record of names baptized in this gown.
“My siblings my mom, all of my cousin, and I think almost 50 different people have worn it,” Seller said.
Her Uncle George is the designated keeper of the gown, a responsibility passed down to him by his parents.
“He keeps it really well preserved and keeps of a record who all wears it and when and where, and we always hand deliver it to the next person,” Seller said.
It's only hand delivered in a preservation box to ensure its safety.
To add to the sentiment, the church that Charlie’s being baptized in, has deep ties to his Dad's side of the family.
“It's so special, my sister got married in this church, my parents renewed their vows here, I’ve been coming here for 35 years, I was baptized in this church so to add this to a long line of special memories is pretty awesome,” Brett Seller said.
Brett sellers, Charlie’s dad, enjoys looking back at the history of the gown, along with the rest of the family, finding similarities among the generations.
“Charlies also looks just like his mother, and she wore this baptism gown as well, so to see pictures of her in the gown they look identical, it's really sweet,” Brett Seller said.
The family says the Hahn Christening Dress is an heirloom they'll hold onto forever.
“It's been really fun to continue on the tradition and the legacy,” Seller said.
The family says they put the dress on and take it right off to help keep it as intact as possible. The next destination the dress will go is Arizona for the baptism of Charlie’s twin cousins.
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