This is my grandfather, Walter Ward Henning Sr., the father of my father, Walter Ward Henning Jr. He has many other names, Wally, Daddy, Mr. Henning. But for all of my life I’ve known him simply as “Papaw,” which I still call him to this day, although more often now I refer to him as “Pop” — a term I picked up from my cousins a few years back (I guess “Papaw” was a bit too childish of a term to use as a grown man). He is 84-years-old now and has been doing upholstery for 59 years.
My grandfather began his career in Dyersburg, Tenn., in 1949 at Karpen & Brothers Upholstery. In the 60’s he started working for George Golden Interior Designs, which decorated Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. My grandfather upholstered several pieces of Elvis’ furniture — he actually used some leftover gold material used for Elvis’ furniture to make belts for my father and a cousin (Man I wish I knew where that belt was today). In 1963 he received his upholstery business license and opened Henning Upholstery on Peabody Avenue in Memphis. He would move to one more location on Cooper Street before settling in the early 70’s into 4144 Maime Road, the only place I have known Henning Upholstery to ever exist.
Growing up I spent many of my younger days during the summer at “Papaw’s Shop.” It was a fun place to hang out at and a boring place all at the same time. The shop was filled with all kinds of neat things for a boy to entertain himself with. There is a vice on his work bench that I must have crushed hundreds of furniture tacks with. And his air stapler was the coolest. You could shoot staples into the wall from across the room. Of course these things would get old real fast and I would spend a lot of time staring at the clock wishing the time by. Of course my grandfather did have a television in his shop, but all I remember him ever watching on it was PTL and The 700 Club (not very entertaining for an 8-year-old).
I spent about an hour with my grandfather at his shop during a visit to Memphis this past week. I wanted to take some photos of him working. Something for the family to have as a remembrance of his legacy after he retires, although he says he’s never going to retire. He was working on the tackiest set of furniture that has ever passed through the doors of his shop. A pair of chairs and a couch that his customer wanted covered in zebra print fabric. That’s right, Zebra print. He had already finished the couch and was working on finishing the chairs. The entire job was one big frustration for him. It had become his albatross. I could see why he didn’t want to retire yet. Would you want to end a 59 year career on a matching set of zebra striped furniture? I understood completely.
The first thing that stikes you when you walk into my grandfather’s shop is how old everything is. The place has a very used, worn in feel to it and most things are covered with a fine layer of dust. He is using a lot of the same tools today that he was using when I was a child. He has tack hammers he still uses daily that I know are older than I am. This is a place of hard work, of dedication. It’s an example I strive to live by, but one that is hard to match. I don't think many from my generation and beyond know what a real hard day's work is.
My grandfather is truly of a dying breed. There aren't many out there today that are willing to put in the time and effort to learn a trade that requires not just hard work, but patience and perseverance. Everyone these days has a "get paid today" mentality as my grandfather puts it. Besides, these days most people will throw out an old couch or chair and buy a new one rather than pay hundreds of dollars to have it re-upholstered and restored to like-new condition. Out with the old, in with the new. Right? Not so much in this case.
Years from now we'll wish there were more like you around Pop. Thank you for the lessons you taught me. Your words, your hard work and your faith will always reside within me, even after you've retired. I'm as proud of you as a grandson can be and I love you Papaw.
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