The Friendship Quilt

These bitterly cold temperatures have brought on the need for more "covers" on the bed. I went looking through my closet for a quilt to put on my guest bed. I have several quilts, all made by my Granny Ott and my Daddy's sisters. I pulled one out and as I was spreading it on the bed I began to think about friendship quilts. Does anyone make them anymore?

This particular quilt must have been my Aunt Ethel's wedding quilt. Aunt Ethel (Pace) is now in the nursing home at Yellville. Uncle Jack passed away a few years ago and she got to the point that she couldn't care for herself any more. My sister, Judith; my brother, Bruce; and I have her household items. That's how I came to have this quilt.

Each block is a star pattern with a circle in the center where all her friends and family embroidered their names. I realized that each block had a story to tell. It's kind of like a book of history with each block being a chapter. I wish I knew the story for everyone on the quilt but I don't. First off, most everyone on the quilt is a descendant of John Ott who came to Arkansas in 1856 or they married into the family. As I go across the rows of blocks I will tell you what I know.

Oma Ott was married to my great uncle, Charlie (grandson of John, son of Albert) and they had Fred and Retha. You may know Retha's girls, Mary Jane and Carolyn. Retha has a block on the quilt too.

Hettie Ott Linck was Fred and Retha's half sister. Charlie had first married Ethel Bundy, but she had passed away when Hettie was young. (My Granny Ott was a Bundy, but that's a blog for another day.) Just suffice it to say; my Daddy had a lot of double cousins.

Alsey Lee Ott married Howard Ott (grandson of Albert). Alsey was a Wagoner. She is my friend, Renelle's aunt; and my friend Sharmin's great aunt. Alsey loved to grow flowers. Her yard was a showplace. She never missed church. I attended the same church as she did for more than 25 years and I can't ever remember her not being there.

Dorothy Hall was my friends', Doyle, Loyle and Dewayne's aunt.

Juanita Ott (grandaughter of Albert, daughter of Marvin). Here comes those double cousins again. Marv married Linnie Bundy, my Granny Ott's sister. Also on the quilt is Juanita's sister, Nellie and a block for Aunt Linnie. Aunt Linnie is Terry Ott and JW Ott's grandma (and many, many more cousins.)

Lois and Etta Snipes are on the quilt. Lois was Etta's daughter. Lois's handmade cradle was used by my Dad and then my son, Ryan.

My Aunt Joyce's block is embroidered Joyce Briggs. She was first married to Cecil Briggs. Cecil was a teacher and the principal at Yellville School. Cecil died in his thirties. He was stricken with "apoplexy" while at school and later died at home. I had to look up apoplexy and I imagine it was a cerebral hemorrhage based on what my Granny told me about his death. Later, Aunt Joyce married Carl Keeter. Many of you knew her as Mrs. Joyce, your first grade teacher. Aunt Joyce was the second oldest in my Aunt Ethel's family.

Fred Bearden is the next block. He was our sheriff for a time. You may know his son, Larry and wife, Judith. Fred's sister, Lou Bearden also made a block. Lou later married Clyde Pickle, my Granny Ott's nephew.

Opal Marchant; Aunt Opal was just older than Aunt Ethel. She married Earl Marchant. They had one daughter, Earlene. They ran the Rea Valley store for many years and operated two big farms. Uncle Earl has a block too. He was a jolly man with a big laugh. Aunt Opal was a good cook. I loved her potato salad and red velvet cake. I spent a lot of days at her house. She later babysat my son, Ryan, until he got too big for a sitter.

The next block is my Dad's, Sherman B. Ott. I think he must have done the embroidery himself. It looks like his writing. I asked my Mom and she said that he knew how to embroider. I like to look at his block. It makes me happy.

Alice Wagoner is next. She is Renelle and Sharmin's grandma/great-grandma; Mother to Alsey and Althea. The Wagoner family lived just over the hill from the Ott family.

Belle Ott was married to Noah Ott and they had Howard, Charles, and Inis. Howard was married to Alsey, who I've already talked about. Inis also has a block on the quilt.

Lessie Bryant was my aunt Ethel's oldest sister. She married Guy Bryant (also a block for him). They had twin sons, Billy and Bobby. Aunt Lessie was a happy person. I loved to hear her laugh. Uncle Guy taught school all over Marion County for many years. He was the first teacher at the Rea Valley School. They later moved to Black Oak, AR where they raised cotton. Uncle Guy's sister, Vivian is also on the quilt.

The next block says Mother. That's my Granny Ott, Ella Bundy Ott. She married my grandpa, Blufford and they had four daughters and a son, Lessie, Joyce, Opal, Ethel and Sherman B. They bought the "old home place." That is where my brother, Bruce, lives and that is where the Ott Cemetery is located. I grew up there. My Granny was a seamstress. She sewed for the family and other people. She was missing the end of her middle finger. Her brother hit her with an axe while chopping wood when they were little. She had to learn to use a thimble on her forefinger. I like to look at her block too. I think of all the clothes she sewed for me, even our pajamas. Her hands were scratchy because she worked hard and she make you hold "real still" while she pinned up your clothes that she was sewing.

Ann Morrow was my Granny's friend. She lived on the next farm over. I can barely remember her. She had white hair and a kind voice. She was Grady Morrow's mother. Grady's wife Verna made a block.

Althea Wagoner is the next block. She is my friend, Sharmin's grandma. She was a joker and loved to pull pranks on people. I've heard some funny stories about her.

Ivon Goatley is on the quilt too. Sadly, I don't know anything about her.

Luna Johnson is next. There's a funny story that our family used to laugh about that involves Luna's cooking. When she was a teenager she would come home with Aunt Ethel and one night she made a peach cobbler. Now, my Dad's sisters were quite a bit older than him so me must have been just a little boy when this happened. Apparently the crust on the cobbler didn't get done and when my Dad took a bite of it he said, "Who made this pie dough anyway?" It embarrassed the girls and my Granny and I think he got told not to criticize any food ever again.

That's every block on the quilt. I don't know if my Aunt Ethel used the quilt or not. It's in good condition. If her mind was still clear, I would ask her about the quilt. Sadly, she doesn't know who I am when I go visit her. She gets confused and wants to know when Mama is going to send someone one to get her and take her to the farm. Once she called me Joyce. I will take good care of her quilt and always think about her and my other family members when I look at it. Someday my daughter, Misty, will probably get the quilt. I hope she tells her kids the stories of the people who made the blocks.