The Market Street Quilts

The Duvet Cover

The Double Wedding Ring

These quilts from Clarksville, Pa. have been tucked in with my belongings for about 35 years. One was given to me by my grandmother Ruth Brown Ross, who lived on Market Street, while the other was purchased at the estate sale of her neighbor Jean Fowler. Unfortunately, I’m not 100% sure which quilt is which.

When my grandmother gave me one of these quilts she told me that it belonged to my great grandmother Lelia Sanders Ross. At the time, I only had this one quilt, so I didn’t mark it.

So, now I’m hoping Jean’s son Gerald Fowler will be able to tell me if his mother’s quilt is the double wedding ring quilt (a design that was popular in the 1920s) or the duvet cover with buttons. I’m thinking the duvet cover is from the Ross family, but I can’t be sure. Maybe one of my Ross cousins, Lelia’s other great grandchildren, can help clear this up.

Either way, these quilts are both beautiful works of art made by talented women with a connection to my hometown.

Update:

“I will say with a high degree of certainty that the double wedding ring quilt was my mother’s. I will send you an email with some more details about this and your great grandfather…” ~ Gerald Fowler

Market Street neighbors: Jean Fowler, Ruth Ross, Isaac Brown, and Stanley Fowler. Circa: 1950s.

Here’s an interesting side note. I just looked up Jean Fowler’s information on Find-A-Grave and I saw that she passed away on May 11, 1983. Her nextdoor neighbor, my great grandfather Isaac Brown, died just a few days before on May 6, 1983. It’s funny how the passage of time makes you forget details like this, ones that I’m sure were the talk of the town back in May of 1983.

Update:

“Randi, I am so happy that you have one of my grandmother’s quilts. I remember that she passed while doing laundry on a Wednesday. Her usual “wash day” was Monday, but she had been helping your family with your great grandfather’s funeral that week. She had recently completed a cathedral window quilt for me. It had taken her eight years to make, and my grandfather gave it to me for Christmas that year. ❤️” ~ Kimberly Fowler Smith

By Randi Ross Marodi, randileeross@gmail.com

Comments

A 60-year-old letter from my Mom!

As I celebrate my 60th birthday today my thoughts are very much focused on how much I miss my mom and dad. When my mom passed away 10 years ago, I found letters she had written to her mother while she and my dad were living in St. Louis, Mo. in 1964 and 65. I’m so thankful that my grandmother Blanche saved everything, because the following letter details the day I was born: November 29, 1964. My mother was 19 at the time and my dad was 22. The letter was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. George Phillians, Box 883, Clarksville, PA 15322 with a St. Louis, MO Postmark of Dec. 7, 1964. Although my mom’s name was Roberta, her parents and everyone in her family called by her middle name, Lee, which is how she signed this letter. Saturday afternoon (December 5, 1964) Dear Mom & Dad, How are you? Fine I hope! We are all three fine here. Randi is the greatest. (We changed our minds about how to spell her name. We dropped the e & spell it Randi.) She’s so pretty. I guess I’m prejudiced though. H...

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