I found this Wedding Bouquet block in 5,500 Quilt Block Designs by Maggie Malone. I thought it was the perfect block to go with the story about the engagement (at last!) and marriage of my grandparents. The block is made up of eight 2-1/2" squares and twenty-eight 2-1/2" half square triangles - all unfinished, which finish out to 2" each.
This is Part 1 of "the rest of the story." In the 1940's, my grandmother wrote a story about what happened in 1917 - the year after the diary:
"It was suggested that I could go to Topeka to business school for secretarial work. I had been dating Frank all that summer but wasn't ready to become very serious and felt I could get away and learn something else before making any decision. Mother Nelle thought that was a good idea, and Papa approved, too. She helped me find a place to stay with one of her friends in Topeka, a widow who had a little granddaughter she had cared for ever since the child's mother had died when she was born. I enrolled in the school early in January and was there three months for courses in typing, shorthand, penmanship, spelling, and bookkeeping and liked the place well enough, but it was a little boring doing the same thing every day. I finished this three month course, and spring was 'bursting out all over.' I went home and decided I could use what I had learned and be happier at home. Frank had his answer, and we became engaged on May 6, the first Sunday of the month, 1917. I was very happy with my beautiful ring. Frank told me he had sold his best Hereford young bull to pay for it, but I never wanted to hear the exact cost in dollars. It was too precious to me.
"We had had a house-full at Christmas time (1916). Frank had hoped to give me my engagement ring at that time, but since I was not ready, he gave me a silver jewel box to hold the ring when I did get it. I did not know he had the ring and was glad I had not known. It was good to have the Topeka experience before deciding.
"Our wedding was in the Woodbury home on October 24, 1917, at twelve o'clock noon."
"The marriage of Miss Harriet Edith Woodbury to Frank J. George of near Olivet occurred at noon yesterday at the home of the bride, who is the daughter of Hon. Fred H. Woodbury. A large number of guests witnessed the ceremony."
from the October 25, 1917 edition of the Burlingame Osage County Chronicle
In 1982, Howard's daughter and Hattie's niece Ann Woodbury Lusk wrote: "Hattie (Harriet) Woodbury married Frank J. George in a home wedding in 1917. The Georges were prominent and prosperous farmers in Coffey, the adjoining county. Frank was popular and an outstanding debater. Except for Grandfather Woodbury being a died-in-the-wool, straight-ticket Republican and Uncle Frank being one of the most enthusiastic Democrats I've ever known, I'd imagine everyone was quite happy about the wedding. (In reading this to Aunt Hattie 64 years later, she said, 'I never once heard my Father and Frank argue about politics, and Dad said, 'True, but I never heard them agree (about politics) either.' Very perceptive!"
 |
| 1917 Frank George and Harriet Woodbury Engaged "No, I do not wear slacks! That's just a weed in front of my long skirt." |
Married at last! All your blocks are just lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks for adding the picture. It will be fun to see these blocks all married to each other too.
ReplyDeleteDid your grandmother work as a bookkeeper or secretary once she married? I imagine that Frank needed her on the farm and once they had some children it would be next to impossible in those times.
ReplyDeleteLovely blocks and a lovely story that you have shared with us. Are you assembling the quilt now?
Another great story!
ReplyDeleteAnd another great block -- it's the sort of block that would look completely different with varied color placement. (In the way of this year's popular Swoon block sew-along.)