Winners of the oldest iron contest announced

Dear Readers: We have the oldest iron winners! It has taken quite some time to sort through the massive number of letters that you wonderful readers sent. We will list the 10 winners' names in this column, and then we will feature their names and photos of the irons on my Web site: www.Heloise.com. So, if nothing is too "pressing," don't get "steamed," just "glide" through the list.
Avalon Ingram of Grapeland, Texas, says: "I have two smoothing irons that are 100 years old. Sometimes I'll heat an old iron to iron a ribbon or a quilt scrap."
Edna McCommon of Livingston, Mont., says, "This iron is over 100 years old and will work forever."
Helen A. Powers of Bloomfield, N.J., says, "My irons date back to the early 1900s."
Linn Casey of Meadowview, Va., says: "My old iron still works -- no steam, of course! It was patented in 1908, 1914 and 1916."
Imogene Powers of Bangs, Texas, says: "This electric iron with the trivet belonged to my mother-in-law. It was made in the 1920s. It still heats well."
Jerry Poston of Anaheim, Calif., says: "My mother used this for as long as I can remember. This still works today, and it was bought in 1923!"
Wilma Thedford of Tyler, Texas, says: "This iron belonged to my granny. She bought it in the late 1920s, and it still works."
Bill and Shelby Berta of Rochester, Ill., say: "This is an old electric iron and is from the late 1930s. The iron still works and heats up very well."
Mrs. Donna Henningsen of Eden Prairie, Minn., says: "Here are two irons that I use. I am a quilter and need irons without steam holes in the plate. They are also very heavy and give a good, hard press. I never use them for everyday ironing because they are too heavy. They are both from the 1930s."
Ms. Gwendene Easton of Bakersfield, Calif., says: "This was my mother's iron, used in the very early 1930s. It is a joy now to be able to use a lighter iron."
We send many, many thanks to all the readers who took the time out of their busy schedules to take a picture of their iron and send it in. We enjoyed looking through all the photos and have found that irons do have a long life! Heloise
Heloise of San Antonio says: "I have an iron from the late 1940s that was my maternal grandmother's, Amelia Bowles of Fort Worth, Texas. It's lightweight and easy to use. However, if I were going to use it more, I would have the cord checked or replaced."
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate