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Olive Zumbrun Blocher

Quiltmaker

  Woodland, Barry County, Michigan, United States    

Michigan Quilt Project

Daughter of Mary Strock Zumbrun, the mother of Mary Blocher Hershberger, and the grandmother of Carolyn Oberman
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Carolyn Oberman related this information about her grandmother:

I think that the one thing that gave this quilter [Olive Zumbrun Blocher], my grandmother, the most pleasure and satisfaction during her busy life as a farm wife was the making of quilts. Most of those she made were for her own family's use, but she was also very active helping her church Aid Society to make quilts for missions. When making her own quilts she used the traditional old patterns, but was creative in designing and making her own quilting templates. Her work, piecing the blocks and her small quilting stitches, is beautiful. This ability and competence to make a thing of beauty, in spite of hard daily work and rough hands, satisfied a creative urge and gave he much to be proud of.

She gave quilts or comforters to all her daughters when they married, and also made many quilts and woven rag rugs to raise funds for the Church of the Brethren Aid Society.

Was the maker a woman, man or a group?

Female

When was the quiltmaker born?

07/24/1870

If the quiltmaker was married, what was the wedding date.

Date and place of death.

9/10/1952

Educational background:

Fourth grade

Religious affiliation:

Church of the Brethren

Occupation (if retired, former occupation):

Housewife

Where was the quiltmaker born?

Union City, Darke County, Ohio (OH), United States

Where did the quiltmaker grow up?

Rural

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Zumbrun

Father's Name:

Joel Zumbrun

Father's ethnic/tribal background:

Farmer

Mother's Name:

Mary Strock Zumbrun

Mother's ethnic/tribal background:

Housewife

Spouse's/Spouses' name(s):

Harrison Blocher

Spouse's/Spouses' occupation:

Farmer

Number of female children:

4

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From Relative

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 11-19

Name of quilting group(s):

The Church of the Brethren Aid Society, Woodland, MI, meeting once a month.

Describe the quiltmaker’s unique or favorite materials, patterns, quilting techniques, etc.:

The quilter marked the quilts she quilted for others; also marked the church Aid society quilts.

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