Ever since I was little, I idolized my Grandma Millie for her work ethic and craftsmanship. My grandma would fix my worn-out clothes for me, and while she did so, she would talk about her life as a little girl and having to sew clothes for herself. She told me that she learned to sew from my great-grandma. During the Great Depression, my German great-grandma was unable to buy blankets and clothes. Instead, she formed a group with her friends and told stories while making the things she wasn’t able to buy. This is when the heirloom quilt was formed. Each square on the quilt is embedded with patches from old clothes. The quilt continued to grow in size until my great-grandma passed away; before she died she gave the quilt to my grandma. When my grandma passed, she gave it to me, along with the stories that were told while quilting. I expect to give the quilt and stories to my children as well because it isn’t just pieces of fabric sewn together; this rectangular cloth holds the countless amount of stories connected to my family’s struggles from poor German immigrants who arrived during the Depression, to Americans in Missouri today. 

– Lydia Pudenz

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more