Alice M. Morton Bougher and the Bougher Family of Christian County, Missouri

When taking a close look at my friendship quilt, one thing that stands out to me is that the Bougher family made three quilt square contributions! I guess there were quite a lot of Boughers at Mount Zion Baptist Church! I used Ancestry.com and Find-a-Grave to find out more about how these Boughers were related to one another, then I checked with my mom for confirmation.

Today, we will be focusing on Alice Morton Boyer. Alice was born in Iowa on March 18, 1875 by the name of Alice M. Morton. She was the daughter of James Ware Morton and Martha Young Morton. She appeared in the 1880 census, at the age of 5, living in Pleasant, Lucas County, Iowa, with her parents and four siblings (William L., Charles A., Laurence D., and Clarence A. Morton). Her dad was from New Jersey and her mother was born in Indiana.

Alice married Solomon Bougher on April 4, 1895 in Lucas County, Iowa. I know of six children they had during their marriage: Floyd, Earnest, Gladys, Clara, Alta, and Mary. Two of the daughters, Alta and Mary, also contributed squares to my quilt.

I could not find the Bougher family in the 1920 census, but in 1910, they appeared in the Jasper, Taney County, Missouri Federal Census. By the time of the 1930 census, they were living in McCracken, Christian County, Missouri. 

Alice Bougher attended Mount Zion Baptist Church in McCracken. By the time my mother was about 5 years old, Alice was in her sixties. My mother remembers her being at church, occasionally. At that time, her daughters, Alta and Mary, and her son, Floyd, were more active in the church.

Alice Morton Bougher passed away on November 26, 1956, in Christian County, but she was buried at Forsyth Cemetery, in Forsyth, Taney County, Missouri, beside her husband Solomon. Solomon passed away years earlier, in about 1941.


In the following video, my mom talks a little bit about the handiwork Alice did on her quilt square. In the next post, I will give more information about Alice's daughters, Alta and Mary, and their contributions to the friendship quilt.

Do any of you have handiwork or an heirloom passed down in your family? Please post about it in the comments section!

Until next time,

Mary

Quilting Back in the Day

It's been a busy summer! Even though I haven't posted lately, I have been thinking of this blog and making plans. Along with entries about specific women who helped create the friendship quilt, I plan on doing a series of video interviews with my mother, Beatrice, who was a child when the quilts were made. 

My mother, Beatrice, was born during the depression and grew up near McCracken in Christian County, Missouri.  Beatrice, who is 81 years old, is probably one of the oldest living people that was around when this quilt was made. In 1937, she was 5 years old. I have not found the name of anyone else on the quilt that is still living, although I am in the beginning stages of this work!

Even though my mother did not participate in making the 1937 quilt, she did participate in making the 1944 friendship quilt we own. Also, she has memories of her mother and grandmother making friendship quilts during her childhood. Quilting was a very common, practical past time during that era. Women often enjoyed quilting together with other women to enjoy social time. 

In this first video, my mother talks a little bit about how her grandmother, Julia Marcy Boatwright, organized making this quilt. She also discusses the making of friendship quilts in general. 

Until next time, enjoy your summer!

Mary