KILGORE, Texas (KLTV) – The East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore has received a special donation: a 70-year-old piano gifted by a local family with deep ties to the oilfield industry.
“So excited to have it. We are over the moon excited,” said Angela Turner, manager of the East Texas Oil Museum.
The piano belonged to Dale and Billie Grandstaff. Their daughter, Sharon Holden, said the piano stood in the church where her parents married in 1954. When the church disbanded in 1959, it was gifted to her parents and remained part of the family’s history.
While remodeling her parents’ former home ahead of moving back in with her husband, Holden contacted the museum about accepting the piano.
“I felt that it was very important to put that piano in the right place. Out of respect. And what better place than the East Texas Oil Museum,” Holden said.
“The owners were a big part of the oilfield and the oilfield industry and of course, that’s what we’re famous for here,” Turner said.
Holden said her family would be glad to see it preserved for future visitors.
“Dad would be happy. My mom. My family would be glad. For generations, it’ll be here. For people to learn about and appreciate,” she said.
Visitors can see the piano in the Home Life section at the East Texas Oil Museum.
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