Gentleman's Fancy Quilt Block

     I found the pattern for this 6" Gentleman's Fancy block in The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hird.   
     This is an important diary entry because Hattie writes about the first date she has with her future husband and my grandfather, Frank George.  Frank takes his sister Fannie and another young teacher to Institute (teacher training) in a nearby town and invites Hattie to go with them.

Sunday, June 4, 1916 -
"It seems just a little queer that I should have a date with Frank George!  I don't like to call it that for it really wasn't.  Anyhow, I had a lovely time.  It all happened like this.  He and his mother were at church this morning, and after church he asked me if I didn't want to go for a ride this P.M.  He said he had to take Fannie over to Institute at Burlingame and would stop for me if I would go.  Of course I consented, and we went.  It was a warm afternoon, but we didn't notice the heat while riding.  We had an experience just this side of Osage which was really funny.  I haven't recovered from laughing yet.  There were at least six men riding standing in a shallow wagon.  They were in front of us but paid no attention to Frank's honk and went on up to the culvert.  Frank slowed down, but the next thing I knew he was calling, 'Watch out!' but the men paid no attention, and in an instant the bumper hit the wagon.  It was very funny to see the fellows sprawling in every direction.  Oh, they were mad!  Their horses did not run, and one of the men, who afterward said he was Frank Hunsicker, came looking mad enough to fight and immediately took the number.  Frank explained to him that his brake would not work, and after a good deal of said explanation, Mr. Hunsicker calmed a little.  I was tickled though.  Frank introduced me to him and afterwards said, 'I knew he was a friend of your father's and thought that might help out.'   

"We stopped at the garage in Osage, then went on to Burlingame.  We stayed there with the girls until 5:25 and then came home without any more adventures, arriving at 6:30."  

In 1982 (sixty-six years later), my grandmother again writes about meeting my grandfather:

Harriet and Frank: The Beginning by Harriet George
"I had known of the two George families who lived in this area, which was about five or six miles south of our farm home, in Coffey County, on the south border of my Dad's section pasture in Osage County.  He often visited with them when he was at the pasture. 

"But I did not meet Frank until after we were again living at the farm.  When I was in my last year of high school in Emporia, I came home at Thanksgiving.  Ruth, Howard, and I went to a box supper at Olivet school that Thanksgiving night.  Frank George bid on Ruth's box, made out of a large oatmeal box - and she was elated!  Years afterward he told me he thought it was mine.

"But I really became acquainted when in the next summer, 1915, a woman in Olivet was sponsoring a play to be given at the Olivet Picnic for the evening entertainment.  They asked Ruth, Howard, and me to be in it.  Also, Frank and his two sisters, Betty and Fannie were in the play.  He played the part of an old man.  I was not the 'leading lady' - had a young sister's part.

"It was the next spring when he asked me if I would go with him as he took Fannie and another young teacher to Burlingame for the teacher's training session.  He had a car by that time, and I was surprised and happy to go on that Sunday p.m.  He bumped into the wagon, in which three men were standing, trying to break a colt, which was ahead of us on the road.  No one hurt, but it was funny!  That was the beginning!"

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog entry:
http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2012/01/honeys-choice-quilt-block.html