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Family quilt history spans 100 years
At the Quilt Show held recently at Wesley Heritage House in Atlantic, Bernice Burnside, formerly of Lewis, had a family quilt on display, highlighted by blocks with original designs depicting her family and their surroundings. The quilting is original and compliments the pictures.
According to Patsy Wood of Heritage House, the quilt took Burnside over six years to complete and was made with only needle and thread - a rich heritage to leave her family.
Burnside wrote the following history of the blocks: first row:1. Grandparents home in Davis, Ill., where her parents, Alex and Ida McGaffin, were married on Dec. 15, 1908; 2. Iowa Wild Rose; 3. Rural mail box in Iowa; 4. Her parents’ first home in Iowa, Benton Township, Cass County. She was born there on May 2, 1914;
Second row: 1. Hopa crab tree in her yard in Lewis, in the spring with Anna playing; 2. Caboose-one of her favorite things; 3. Irish Heritage; 4. Farming in Iowa; 5. Old fashioned circus tent, with her red helium balloon which got away; 6. U.S. flag-50 stars; 7. Orchid corsage, which she rarely received and wore with pride;
Third row: 1. Lewis Methodist Church. Her family’s church which she joined in March, 1925; Eldon joined in December, 1926. The four children were baptized there and joined later; 3. McGaffin family home, RFD., Lewis, Iowa. The Burnsides were married there March 5, 1937; 4. Their wedding picture; 5. Couple’s first home, southwest of Lewis on Park Road. They lived there three years, then moved to the Burnside family farm; 6. Hopa crab tree with Burnside on a ladder as she discovered a nest of robin eggs; 7. Hitchcock House. Underground R.R. restored in 1980s and 1990s;
Fourth row: 1. Symbols of the Eucharist; 2. Burnside family farm, they lived there until 1964, when they quit farming and moved to Lewis; 3. Decorated Christmas tree with their traditional family decorations; 4. Their four babies on the family tree branch; 5. Thanksgiving; 6. Dolls and toys; 7. Indian corn-teepee-symbols;
Fifth row: 1. Gary with symbols of his obsession with baseball, his birds, “His tree and typical clothing”; 2. The old bandstand in the downtown Lewis park; 3. Jim in one of his many play moods, Indians, Foreign Legion, Cowboy, Gold Miner, etc. Native deer watching from the timber; 4. Hopa crab, the robins have hatched; three babies male and female parents and rabbit; 5. Alex with his garden hobby and his pet white rabbit “Twitcher”; 6. Lewis School they attended. Eldon graduated from High School in 1931, Burside in 1932. They boys all started school there but transferred to Griswold in 1960 when the school burned down; 7. Their beloved Carmen playing happily at home;
Sixth row: 1. Family home in Lewis, 302 Oregon Street. Designed completely by her. Built by Miller Cavin and Sons, Burnsides’ home since 1964; 2. Wedding bells with joined hearts’ 3. Lewis in the background. Alex’s red Volkswagen, Jim’s blue Volkswagen on the road home. Jim’s pet Dachshund, “Duchess,” also represents Alex’s pet Dachshund “California”; 4. Balloon races over Indianola. They enjoyed going several times; 5. My hobbies - poetry, history, reading, photography; 6. Family tree branch with grandchildren, Gregory, Julie, Anna; 7. Their two weeks, five island vacation to Hawaii, March 1977;
Seventh row: 1. Printed program for Kathy and Alex’s wedding in Omaha, Neb.; 2. Bicentennial. Burnside was chairman for Lewis and received the Aksarben Good Neighbor Award; 3. An Interfaith Church of the land, built on the exact spot where Pope John Paul II spoke. They were among 350,000 happy pilgrims blessed by the Pope there on Oct. 4, 1979, and also went back when the church was dedicated. And, after burning to the ground, the church was rebuilt and we returned for the second dedication; 4. Grandchildren on the family tree. Allison, Dara, Katie; 5. Backyard by winter moonlight. Their garage, pet rock “Rocky,” and some unusually bright heavenly bodies; 6. Pope’s quilt backdrop. Represents four seasons and the center represents plowed fields and seeds of the good Iowa land; 7. The United Congregational-Methodist Church in Lewis. They are members;
Eighth row: 1. Exact duplicate of a picture taken of two snowmen made by Allison and Dara on Jan. 7, 1984; 2. Grandma Bernice B. A silly drawing by Burnside; 3. Some of her interests - Bible Study, reading, poetry, writing, family history; 4. Valentine - with love - the last block made for the quilt suggested by her grandchild, Allison; 5. Hopa crab, in the fall - empty nest; 6. Grandpa Eldon - a silly drawing for laughs; 7. Nothings perfect! Sometimes everyone makes mistakes even the little owl upside down - red eyes.
According to Patsy Wood of Heritage House, the quilt took Burnside over six years to complete and was made with only needle and thread - a rich heritage to leave her family.
Burnside wrote the following history of the blocks: first row:1. Grandparents home in Davis, Ill., where her parents, Alex and Ida McGaffin, were married on Dec. 15, 1908; 2. Iowa Wild Rose; 3. Rural mail box in Iowa; 4. Her parents’ first home in Iowa, Benton Township, Cass County. She was born there on May 2, 1914;
Second row: 1. Hopa crab tree in her yard in Lewis, in the spring with Anna playing; 2. Caboose-one of her favorite things; 3. Irish Heritage; 4. Farming in Iowa; 5. Old fashioned circus tent, with her red helium balloon which got away; 6. U.S. flag-50 stars; 7. Orchid corsage, which she rarely received and wore with pride;
Third row: 1. Lewis Methodist Church. Her family’s church which she joined in March, 1925; Eldon joined in December, 1926. The four children were baptized there and joined later; 3. McGaffin family home, RFD., Lewis, Iowa. The Burnsides were married there March 5, 1937; 4. Their wedding picture; 5. Couple’s first home, southwest of Lewis on Park Road. They lived there three years, then moved to the Burnside family farm; 6. Hopa crab tree with Burnside on a ladder as she discovered a nest of robin eggs; 7. Hitchcock House. Underground R.R. restored in 1980s and 1990s;
Fourth row: 1. Symbols of the Eucharist; 2. Burnside family farm, they lived there until 1964, when they quit farming and moved to Lewis; 3. Decorated Christmas tree with their traditional family decorations; 4. Their four babies on the family tree branch; 5. Thanksgiving; 6. Dolls and toys; 7. Indian corn-teepee-symbols;
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Sixth row: 1. Family home in Lewis, 302 Oregon Street. Designed completely by her. Built by Miller Cavin and Sons, Burnsides’ home since 1964; 2. Wedding bells with joined hearts’ 3. Lewis in the background. Alex’s red Volkswagen, Jim’s blue Volkswagen on the road home. Jim’s pet Dachshund, “Duchess,” also represents Alex’s pet Dachshund “California”; 4. Balloon races over Indianola. They enjoyed going several times; 5. My hobbies - poetry, history, reading, photography; 6. Family tree branch with grandchildren, Gregory, Julie, Anna; 7. Their two weeks, five island vacation to Hawaii, March 1977;
Seventh row: 1. Printed program for Kathy and Alex’s wedding in Omaha, Neb.; 2. Bicentennial. Burnside was chairman for Lewis and received the Aksarben Good Neighbor Award; 3. An Interfaith Church of the land, built on the exact spot where Pope John Paul II spoke. They were among 350,000 happy pilgrims blessed by the Pope there on Oct. 4, 1979, and also went back when the church was dedicated. And, after burning to the ground, the church was rebuilt and we returned for the second dedication; 4. Grandchildren on the family tree. Allison, Dara, Katie; 5. Backyard by winter moonlight. Their garage, pet rock “Rocky,” and some unusually bright heavenly bodies; 6. Pope’s quilt backdrop. Represents four seasons and the center represents plowed fields and seeds of the good Iowa land; 7. The United Congregational-Methodist Church in Lewis. They are members;
Eighth row: 1. Exact duplicate of a picture taken of two snowmen made by Allison and Dara on Jan. 7, 1984; 2. Grandma Bernice B. A silly drawing by Burnside; 3. Some of her interests - Bible Study, reading, poetry, writing, family history; 4. Valentine - with love - the last block made for the quilt suggested by her grandchild, Allison; 5. Hopa crab, in the fall - empty nest; 6. Grandpa Eldon - a silly drawing for laughs; 7. Nothings perfect! Sometimes everyone makes mistakes even the little owl upside down - red eyes.
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