Granny Clark's Quilt

This quilt was created by my maternal great-grandmother, Urcellia Katherine (Kate) Williams Clark Hartley.  She was born in Fayette County, Tennessee on 2 April 1848 to Alfred M. Williams (born 1821 in North Carolina; died 16 August 1891 in Lincoln County, Missouri) and Frances Atkinson (born 14 June 1827 in Kentucky; died 28 May 1913 in Lincoln County, Missouri).

I'm not sure of the exact date this quilt was made but it was created in two stages.  The history, as it was told to me, was that Kate was sewing together this quilt top at a neighbor's/friend's home and stored the top and fabric scraps at the friend's home.  The Williams' family home caught fire and burned.  This was one of the only original possessions that was not damaged, as it was not in the home at the time of the fire.  Kate completed the Radiant Star design before 1869 but never set it together in a quilt until after she married James H Clark.  If you notice, the fabrics of the Star and pieced borders are different that the pink fabric it is set in and backing.

I was given this quilt by my mother, Ethel Groshong Sheets.  The story above was told by both Mom and her older sister, Sallie Mae Groshong Brown.  Kate, or "Granny Clark" lived with Ethel, Sallie Mae and their family, Gilbert Groshong and Maggie Clark Groshong.  Maggie was one of Granny's daughters.  Ethel, Sallie Mae and their siblings, Kee Hamilton Groshong and Eleanor Groshong Wieman, grew up hearing stories from their Granny.  This quilt was in their home and was used by Granny.

Below is a photo of James H and Kate Williams Clark's family.  

This is a later photo with the children grown.

Granny is seated in the center.

After Kate's first husband, James, died in 1903, Kate lived with her daughter Maggie Groshong and her family in South Troy.  On 14 November 1915, Kate married Thomas Hartley in Lincoln County, Missouri. Kate was 67 and Mr. Hartley was 70.  They moved into a little house in Hawk Point, MO.  Kate's oldest daughter, Eleanor (Ellen) had moved out of state and was living in Racine, MN.  She was apparently not told of the marriage - she didn't visit much, if ever.  HOWEVER she did come visit sometime after the couple was married.  She went to visit Maggie and found out her mother had remarried and was living in Hawk Point.  She went to see her mother but unfortunately her mother didn't recognize her. I believe the conversation went something like this, Ellen: "Don't you know me?"  Kate: "No, but maybe Mr. Hartley does."  This did not go over well with Ellen and, as Aunt Sallie Mae told me, "Well honey, I'll just say that before Aunt Ellen went back to Racine, Granny Clark was divorced and living back with us." 

The Lincoln County, MO census lists Thomas and Kate Harley living in Hawk Point in 1920.  I haven't found their divorce record yet but in the 1930 census, Kate was living back with Maggie and Gilbert.  Her legal last name at the time of her death was still Hartley.  Her death certificate lists her name as Kate Clark.  One of her sons, Nat Groshong, was the informant for the death certificate and he must have thought it better to leave the name Hartley out.  After much searching, I found her will and her name on that was Kate Hartley. 

I knew nothing of this until my husband and I bought a little house in Hawk Point when we got married.  As I was reading through the abstract, I came across the names Kate Clark and Thomas Hartley!  Aunt Sallie Mae lived right next door so I took the abstract over and asked her about it.  That's when she said, "Well honey, I'll tell you the story."

As a side note, this story cleared up a question I didn't even know I had.  My grandmother, Maggie Clark Groshong, lived with my family.  She had a woven slat-bottom chair in her room and had a habit of climbing on it to look in the top part of her closet.  I have many memories of my mother complaining to Grandmother, "Mother get down from Mr. Hartley's chair before you fall!"  This happened a lot as Grandmother was a short-statured woman who was fairly independent, rarely asking for help.  Growing up, it never occurred to me ... until I hear the story above ... to ask anyone 'Who was Mr. Hartley?' and 'How did Grandmother get his chair?'  ?????   I guess it was one thing he gave Kate when they divorced.  At the time Grandmother had it, the chair was a dark brown.  It was obvious that it had been repainted many times.

I have this chair and use it every day in my closet/dressing area.  I repainted it a dark gray.  And yes, sometimes I climb on it to get to thing stored too high.  No one has yelled at me ... yet!

More on Thomas Hartley:

• Thomas was born in England in 1845 and emigrated to the United States with his parents the next year (1846).  

• He married Hannah Kirkhart 1870. According the the 1870 census the couple (both aged 25) was living in Clark Township, Lincoln County, Missouri in 1870.  (The 1900 federal census asked how long a couple had been married. '30 years' was listed for this couple.)  

• Thomas and Hannah had six children: James, Susie, Sarah, John, Martha, Joseph.

• Thomas' occupation on the census was 'farmer.'  I found his farms in the 1899 Standard Atlas of Lincoln County Missouri, pp. 33 and 41.  It looks like he had 120 acres in the very south central portion of Township 49 N Range I W and 146 acres in the very north central portion of Township 48 N Range I W.

• Hannah died 29 June 1914; Thomas died 13 Mar 1930.  They are buried together in the Troy City Cemetery, Troy, Missouri.