History shared of Monticello Sesquicentennial Quilt

Several individuals and families of former Monticello residents visited the Monticello Heritage and Cultural Center on Sunday to be a part of a special program honoring the history of the Monticello Sesquicentennial Quilt. 

The quilt was made for the 1986 celebration, honoring the history of Monticello. Each quilt square features something unique to Monticello, many of the sites and structures no longer standing. 

The Jan. 26 event brought a couple dozen into the Center, with Heritage Board member Deb Bowman leading the program. 

“What you’re seeing around here are quilts from different people here in Monticello,” Bowman indicated of the many quilts currently on display at the Heritage Center. “But what we’re really here for today is the Monticello Sesquicentennial Quilt. “ 

Bowman said she and her husband, Mike, were only living in Monticello for about five years during this time in the mid-1980s. She admitted she doesn’t recall the quilt project, but now sees its importance to Monticello’s sesquicentennial celebration. 

Lucille Balsiger was the chair of the quilt committee, assisted by Floy Stoneking. 

“Alone, trying to organize all of these people to do this was a feat of magic. Somehow Lucille was able to organize everything,” marveled Bowman. 

Joy Adams, who was involved in the project, enlisted her middle school students at the time, specifically Trevor Siebels and Kyle Sands, whose names are on the quilt. 

“Drawings of what the quilt squares were supposed to look like were handed out,” Bowman said. 

Adams said she wasn’t much of a quilter, so she left that job to Balsiger. 

Mary Kay Ackermann, who also worked on the quilt, admitted she forgot which quilt square she was responsible for. Having just arrived at the Heritage Center from the Train Show at the fairgrounds, Ackermann located her square: The Monticello Train Depot.

“Everything goes around,” said Bowman of the coincidence. 

During the sesquicentennial celebration, the quilt was auctioned off and sold for $3,000 to Glenn and Marcia Gabriel of Monticello. When their parents passed away, brothers Glen and Mark Gabriel ended up with the quilt. In 2018, they returned the quilt to its rightful owner: The City of Monticello. 

“The Monticello chamber has expectations for the quilt to be displayed inside City Hall,” said Bowman. “It will be on display here (Heritage Center) until the end of February.” 

Several people whose family members worked on the quilt also shared some stories. Dee Kray was 24 years old at the time of the quilt project. Floy Stoneking, her grandmother, was co-chair, and sought Kray’s help because of her skills in embroidering. 

Ackermann recalled seeing an ad or article in the Monticello Express newspaper seeking volunteers to work on the quilt. Nancy Smith, whose mom was Lucille Balsiger, recalled the quilt set up in the basement of the Presbyterian Church. People could come and go at their leisure during certain times of the week to assist in the project. 

Bowman praised Heritage board members Bob Hendricks and Tiffany Bacon for their hard work photographing each square of the quilt, trying to identify those who worked on each square, and taking pictures of those present on Sunday to go along with their family’s square. 

“There were probably 50 to 60 people being heavily involved in this quilt. That’s incredible. The variety of people involved in this,” said Bowman. 

“People like Vi Suter and Joy Adams who were artists,” added Ackermann. 

Adams, who lent her artistic skills, said she got many of the ideas from old Monticello postcards. Her husband, Jim, owned the former Lovell State Bank (now F&M Bank). So she wanted to make sure the bank was depicted on the quilt. 

“We got ideas from the old sesquicentennial Express, too,” Adams said. 

The Heritage Center is located at 211 N. Sycamore St.