Family Historian

Genealogy has never held any interest for me. Not even a little bit. Today, however, I hold a new title, Family Historian, and am responsible for the completion of the search for our ancestors that was started several years ago by my niece, Leanne. We just returned from a trip to visit her in Eldon, Missouri. Loving all things having to do with history, Leanne started this project several years ago and has one family line traced back to the 1600’s. She’s filled several binders with her research notes and findings. About 18 months ago, Leanne’s work on the genealogy project as well as her continuing education at a local college came to an abrupt halt when she was informed that she had breast cancer. After months of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, the cancer has spread to her liver. Despite her weakened condition and constant pain, Leanne has bravely used the last few months to put pictures in albums for her three children and frame keepsakes she’s preserved over the last thirty years. If you’ve read my quilting blog, www.stixchix-stix.blogspot.com, then you’re familiar with the quilting blocks Leanne sent to me that were made by my grandmother on my father’s side, Grandma Wier. She saved these blocks and another quilt top from the trash bin years ago with intentions to complete them at some point. I’ve spent the last few weeks finishing the first quilt, shown below with the recipient, Leanne’s 12-year daughter Emma, and have returned from our trip with a second beautiful example of Grandma’s handwork that I plan to quilt in the next few months.

While I’ve never really been interested in old quilts, I have to admit working with my grandmother’s quilt blocks sparked an interest in me. Not so much about old quilts, but about the person who spent hours each day foregoing housework to sit with her cats and crochet, embroider, or hand appliqué her quilt blocks and then even more time assembling the blocks and hand-quilting her final creation. I’ve been told more than once that she was a terrible housekeeper. I say: who cares? The woman had her priorities straight! She lives on through these quilts and crocheted bedspreads. For the first time in my life, I feel a connection to this person who was long dead when I was born. 

While in Eldon we stayed with Leanne’s in-laws in their beautiful farmhouse in the heart of Amish (actually, Mennonite) country. My sister (and Leanne’s mother) Judy had been staying in Leanne’s home, but joined us there at night along with my other sister, Jane, who drove up from her home in Arkansas to spend the weekend with the family. We’ve made trips to this area before and have memorable experiences driving through the Lake of the Ozarks and actually visiting an Amish home where quilts were made and sold and then corresponding with the owner, Vera, for several years after. It’s like a step back in time to see the women with bonnets and wearing long dresses riding bikes or driving horse-pulled buggies with young replicas of themselves sitting in the back. The weather was beautiful during our visit, but all thoughts of living in Missouri (just joking) were dashed by the stories told of ice storms that stripped trees of their branches, mosquitoes, and cesspools.

We’re home for a couple of days and then off to Portland for another adventure at the annual Northwest Quilting Expo. This will be our fourth year attending the event, which has become a family and friends tradition.