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Pritchard Family Reunion Quilt Raffles
Spalding, Nebraska, United States
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Helen Claire Pritchard was born in April 1932 in Spalding, NE, as were six brothers and sisters, five of whom lived to adulthood. The Pritchard biennial reunion was established sometime in the early 1970s, is held in or around Spalding and is always well attended. The reunion generally starts with canoeing down the Cedar River and/or golfing on the public par-3 golf course on Saturday mornings. A picnic buffet at the park, complete with swimming, turtle racing, yard games, and singing tops Saturday night. Sunday is typically a Roman Catholic Mass and lunch, the sites varying between Spalding and Primrose. The Prim Town Pub has been the site of the Sunday luncheon and quilt raffle for the last four reunions.
Claire first brought quilts she created to the reunion about 2002, at first to talk about them and answer questions. For a couple of reunions, she gave them away by means of a no-fee raffle. At some point, a Pritchard (unknown at this point) asked if the raffle tickets might be sold and the proceeds used to defray the cost of the picnic. Over the course of seven or eight reunions, Claire probably donated 80-100 items consisting of quilts, wall hangings, baby blankets, table runners, napkin sets, tablecloths, Christmas tree skirts, hot pads, and quilted cozies/doilies. The quilts were sometimes her earliest efforts, many times with western and farming scenes or log cabin patterns. Others were her most recent experiments or ones she had used for classroom or seminar talks and she was ready to swap out.
The volume of offerings meant that Ray and Claire usually drove from Michigan to Nebraska, packed and unpacked the items, displayed them on hanging bars they would bring, and explained what they were. The raffle winners chose items in the order their ticket was pulled. For those who never seemed to win the raffle, Claire found out what they would like, made it for them over time and then mailed the item(s).
Claire seemed to keep the reunion offerings in her thoughts all year, exploring colors, textures, patterns, and themes that might be different from prior offerings. Several of her nieces and grandchildren took an interest in quilting, and she held impromptu classes and explanations wherever there was interest. After Claire passed, Ray brought the quilts she had set aside to the next reunion (2014). The Pritchards decided to auction the offerings and donate the proceeds to the Claire Pritchard Vlasin Quilt Preservation Fund. A spirited bidding war ensued! The Pritchards supported and appreciated Claire's skill through the years, and many of them proudly display her creative projects in their homes and apartments.
For more information about the Pritchard Reunion, go to www.Pritchardreunion.com
Written by Vlasin, Ray; Simonson, Theresa
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Vlasin, Claire Quiltmaker
Michigan State University Museum
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Vlasin Legacy Project, Claire Legacy
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November 2008
Kandy Kisses Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2000
All That Jazz Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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August 2011
Horses Coming Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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April 2012
Farm Life Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2012
Ducks Coming Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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8/2010
What to do with a... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2001
Square in a Squar... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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12/6/2005
Nine Patch with C... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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4/18/2010
Christmas Tidings... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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8/2010
How much are thos... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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4/4/2011
Star Block of the... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2014
Pictorial Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2004
Flannel squares a... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2010
Fall in Nebraska ... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2010
Scrappity-Do-Dah Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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4/18/2010
Hearts Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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10/15/2004
Log Cabin Star Tr... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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9/19/2006
Star Table Runner... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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1/2007
Drunkard's Path Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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1/6/2007
Monterrey Medalli... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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6/4/2007
Table Runner Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2014
Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2014
Artful Simplicity... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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6/5/2012
Strip Cocktail Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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1/2012
Santa Claus is Co... Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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February 2012
Herd of Horses Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2006
Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2008
Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2008
Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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2008
Vlasin, Claire Prit...
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