QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-10504

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

89.0058

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

6794.1

Object label:

Log Cabin Friendship
Relatives, neighbors, and friends of the Hershberger family
Woodland, Barry County, Michigan
1932
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#6794.1

Essay:

Made as a gift to Loren and Mary Hershberger and their 4 children when they moved from Woodland Township, Michigan to Liberty Mills, Indiana. Donor Carolyn Oberman relates this about the quilt,

Although I never had a chance to talk to her about it, I am certain that Olive Blocher, my grandmother, had the idea of making the quilt for her daughter when she was about to move far away, and Grandma took the responsibility of seeing that the blocks were made, set together, and quilted. The fabric used was whatever the women had on hand at the time, from the 1920s or earlier.

I have talked to 3 of the women whose names are on one of the blocks, but unfortunately none of them can recall little or nothing about the making of the quilt. They all said "Oh dear, that was so long ago." One woman did remember some of the fabric she used in her block - "I made a shirt for one of my boys from this" - but did not remember sewing the block. She also remembered the presentation which was made at an evening farewell gathering held at the home of the Hershberger family shortly before they left the community, but could not remember if speeches were made or if food was served.

Owner's name for the quilt:

Log Cabin Friendship

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Log Cabin Album

Biography of the quiltmaker?

This Friendship or Album, quilt was made during the latter part of 1931 to March of 1932. It was a farewell gift to Loren and Mary Hershberger and their 4 children, Carolyn, David, Joann, and Barbara who were moving from Woodland, Michigan to Liberty Mills, Indiana. The family was well-known and active in the community and the gift was a mark of the esteem in which they were held. Mary had been born and lived all her life in the area and Loren had lived there with his parents and siblings since the age of 16. Most of the Log Cabin blocks were pieced and their names embroidered in the center by women of the congregation of the South Woodland Church of the Brethren and a few were made by other close neighbors and friends. Families in this Woodland Twp. area were close-knit, hard-working, God-fearing farmers, and mostly of German descent. At the time the quilt was made some of the farm homes had electricity and indoor plumbing but many did not. The horse and buggy was long gone and although horses were still commonly used in the fields, everyone had a car. However many of the women never learned to drive and depended on their husbands or a neighbor women who did drive to take them shopping, to the Aid Society meeting, or to a freind's house to visit and quilt in the afternoon. The telelphone was a boon and benefit to these women whose social life revolved mainly around their church or school activities. I well remember the long phone conversations of my grandmother as she exchanged local news, recipes, or planned a church supper. It was a community of women who vied for the chance to proudly say later on a Monday morning "I had my wash on the line by 7 o'clock." This in a day when, though they had a gasoline Maytag washer, water had to be heated on a wood stove and white clothes boiled in a copper boiler. My mother hardly ever used the quilt. Only when there was infrequent overnight company, would the quilt be brought out of the cedar chest and spread on the spare bed. I doubt if it was even washed as long as Mother owned it.

When was the form filled out?

8/27/1988

Other people who worked on this quilt:

Relatives, neighbors, and friends of the Hershberger family

Name of the group that made the quilt:

South Woodland Church of the Brethren

If this quilt was made by a group, describe activities the group engaged in:

Quiting was the main activity along with some rag rug sewing. Often the quilt in progress had been pieced by a woman who had asked the group to quilt it for her and the money earned was used for the church or for mission work. The group also tied comfort

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

Woodland

Where the quilt was made, county:

Barry

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt started?

1931

When was the quilt finished?

1932

Details about why the quilt was made:

Made a gift to Loren and Mary Hershberger and their 4 children when they moved from Woodland Township, Michigan to Liberty Mills, Indiana.

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Group

Quiltmaker's city:

Woodland Township

Quiltmaker's county:

Barry

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's educational background:

Most were German.

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

All but 15 of the 56 names belonged to the South Woodland Church of the Brethren.

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Most were farmers.

Where does/did the group meet?

Meetings were held once a month in the member's homes.

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

84"

How long is the quilt?

96"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Rounded

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

Type of inscription:

Multiple Names

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Top row: Edith Blocher, Ida Flory, Sarah Fisher, C.F. (Cora Flanigan), Gladys Sandbrook, Ruth Hershberger, Mary Townsend. Second row: Clara Blocher, Mary Clum, Echo Flanigan, Emma M. Wotring, Arlie Spindler and Girls, Myrtle Wotring, Maggie Kantner. Third row: Kathryn Townsend, Ethyle Smith, Phoebe Oaks, Mary Fisher, Mary E. Teeter 1932, Susie Oaks, Josephine Wise. Fourth row: Clara E. Smith, Susie Fisher, Minnie Baker, Father Blocher, Gertrude Strong, Bessie Woodman, Mildred Brooks. Fifth row: Lovell Milford, Glenna Blocher, Mother Blocher, Sarah Smith, Rev. J.M. Smith, Thelma Kantner, Cornelia Wise. Sixth row: Grace Lucas, Caroline S., Nellie Townsend, Harley Townsend, Pastor Wilma and Jay (Dittman), Audra Densmore. Seventh row: Fern Mahler, Margaret Densmore, DeVault Family, Aunt Sadie (Hershberger), Celia Townsend, Loretta DeVault, Etta Smith Eighth row: Iva Kantner, Neva Kantner, Cora Wise, Edith Black, Ann Kahler, Ruth E. Scudder, Nevah & Estella Farlee.

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Location of inscription:

on block

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

56

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

2 1/2"

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

4

What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?

less than a half inch

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

9

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

11

Where did the maker get their materials?

Sewing scraps

Describe the sources of the quilt's materials:

The fabric used was whatever the women had on hand at the time, from the 1920s or earlier.

Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:

Two photos of Ladies Aid Society of the South Woodland Brethren Church. Letter from family who received the quilt from the congregation.Photos of quilter

Source of the information on this quilt:

Museum employee

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

9-6-88, Carolyn Oberman, donor

Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

Although I never had a chance to talk to her about it, I am certain that Olive Blocher, my grandmother, had the idea of making the quilt for her daughter when she was about to move far away, and Grandma took the responsibility of seeing that the blocks were made, set together, and quilted.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Describe any favorite patterns, tools, etc. used by the quiltmaker:

Large frames, most often homemade, with side rails and end pieces clamped or tied at the corners. My grandmother, Olive Blocher, had a frame custom made about 1930 or perhaps a little earlier from a pattern from the Stearns & Foster Company, costing 20 cents with a coupon from their Mountain Mist batting cover. I now have and use that frame.

Who photographed this quilt?

KEVA

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum