For many years — more than I know — members of Durham Friends Meeting have made quilts to be given away. In recent years, the quilts have been given to the parents and grandparents of newly-born babies associated with the Meeting. They have also been made and gifted for other reasons. One of those quilts recently made it’s way back to Durham Friends, a gift in return of Faye Passow, an artist in Minnesota. (You can learn more about Faye here and here.) The quilt had originally been made for and given to her grandparents. We are very grateful to Faye Passow for this gift.
“I am the daughter of Lydia Passow (Booker), who was the daughter of Harold and Jennie Booker, who were members of the Durham Friends Meeting. When my mother a teenager their house burned down and they went to live with an aunt, whose house also burned down. During that time this quilt was created for them by members of the community. I believe but am not sure many were members of the Meetinghouse.
“I currently have this quilt and have no descendants to pass it to and am thinking that it might be of interest to either the Meetinghouse or a local historical society. I am writing to you first as I think you may know many of these names or their relations and might suggest the proper place for this quilt.
“… The quilt was put together in 1943. The names on the quilt are:
Please forgive any spelling errors. The names are stitched in and not always readable.”
Here is the quilt, being shown in the Meetinghouse. Two of our quilters, Dorothy Henton Curtis and Angie Henton Reed are holding it.
In a further message, Faye Passow provided a photo of her Booker family.
“I’m sending a photo of the Booker family. Harold, upper left, would be my grandfather. Jennie Booker sits below him. Mabel Russell was my great aunt, married to Fred Russell. Mary Tarr is most likely the Mary Booker of the quilt square. She is my great aunt also, sister of Harold. She was married in 1944, so after the quilt was created. She died in 1994. The unknown men in the photo are probably Harold’s brothers: Ralph Howard Booker and Raymond Phillips Booker. Harriet Booker was married to Ralph.
“My grandfather’s parents were Eugene Loring Booker and Sarah (Sadie) Rowena (Cox) Booker. She is likely the Sadie you refer to. Born 1868, died 1928.
“Barbara (Russell) Weldon and Doris (Russell) Dupal are the only close relatives remaining that I know of in Maine. One of Doris’ children is married to a Reed, which I believe there is a firewood business in Durham related to the Reed family.
“Also – Ella M Brown, another name on the quilt, was my grandmother Jennie’s mother.
“Minnie Winn was probably Margaret (Brown) Winn, daughter of my grandmother’s brother Hugh. He worked at Worumbo for 50 years and apparently was known affectionately as “Jumbo” for his large size. My grandfather was an electrician at Worumbo.
“Mildred Winn was probably the wife of Carl, son of my grandmother’s brother Hugh.
“There is also an Aunt Jennie on the quilt who may be Jennie Lind (Brown) Douglas, aunt to my grandfather.
“My mother was prolific at searching out family genealogy and wrote a book on Booker and Brown ancestors. She was a member of the DAR, Colonial Dames and the Mayflower Society. She also as a side, was interested in Shiloh as a phenomenon and I have a couple of books on that subject.”
