Orpha "Orphie" VanDusen Waite

                 Orpha "Orphie" Lucretia VanDusen Wait

  Orpha Lucretia Wait was born in 1864. Some sources say she was born in Iowa and other sources claim she was born in New York. She was the daughter of Martin B. and Harriet M. (Treanor) VanDusen.

In 1888, Orphie married James Pinkerton. They were divorced by 1903 and James was remarried. Orphie later married Harry E. Wait, after 1910, probably in Nebraska.

Orphie and Harry moved to Christian County, Missouri sometime after the 1930 Federal Census, which shows them living in Big Grove, Benton, Iowa. Since Orphie was my mother's neighbor, I asked Mom when the Waits moved to Christian County. She estimates that they arrived there about 1935. She said she remembers them moving out of Christian County around 1939 or 1940.

I found an Orpah L. Wait, on Ancestry.com, that was buried at Fairlawn Cemetery in Elk City, Beckham County, Oklahoma, in 1942. I believe this is Orpha "Orphie," because the birth year is the same and my mom remembers Harry Wait coming back with a new wife during the 1944 election. He came for a visit, and my mom remembers them talking to her parents about the election between Dewey and Roosevelt.

While Orphie was living in Christian County, she made a square for my great  grandma Julia's friendship quilt. The square is below. Note that she embroidered the date "1937" on the square. That is one reason I document the quilt was made in 1937.

Lena M. Garrison Farthing

(Photo courtesy Melodee (Caves) Slaney)

Lena was one of the best friends of my grandma, Urma Shipman Boatwright. I remember when I came to visit Grandma, sometimes she would spend time talking to Lena on the phone.

Lena M. Garrison was born on 2 April, 1907 in Christian County, Missouri. She was the daughter of Lee Ledford and Martha Jane "Mattie" (Dobbs) Garrison. Lena married Theodore "Ted" Garrison on 6 February, 1926, in Christian County. They lived in the McCracken Community of Christian County. Lena and Ted had a daughter named Melodean and a son named Billy Lee. Lena passed away on 6 October, 1983. She is buried in the Linden Cemetery in Linden, Christian County, Missouri. The quilt square she contributed to the friendship quilt is in the photo, below.

Lena M. Farthing's Grave

(Photo courtesy of Melodee (Caves) Slaney)
Lena and Melodean

Julia Delima Marcy Boatwright

Julia Delima Marcy Boatwright

Great Grandma Julia with  her son, Leonard, ca. 1915

My great grandmother, Julia Delima Marcy Boatwright, ca. 1910

Julia Delima Marcy was born on 14 April, 1891, in Cloud County, KS, to Edward and Mary (Bray) Marcy. She married James William Boatwright on 5 January, 1910. They had three children: Leonard James, Lucille Marcy, and Richard Jean Boatwright.   

James and Julia lived in Cloud County, Kansas, and by 1920 they moved to Christian County, Missouri.  They lived in the McCracken Community. When she wasn't doing farm chores, Julia enjoyed crocheting and quilting. She spent time with friends in quilting bees and worked on friendship quilts. She also made other quilts and crocheted items that she passed down to family members.

Julia divorced Jim in about 1959. She lived the rest of her life in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri. Julia passed away on 4 February, 1993 at the age of 101 years old.

This square was made by either Julia Delima Marcy Boatwright
or her mother, Mary Ellen Bray Marcy

This square was made by either Julia Delima Marcy Boatwright
or her sister-in-law, Julia Boatwright Bray

Pearl Clevenger Cannon Boatwright

Pearl Clevenger with her first husband, Clyde Cannon. After Clyde's death in 1912, she later married Alonzo Boatwright


Pearl Clevenger Cannon Boatwright

Pearl Boatwright made this square for the friendship quilt. Pearl was born in October 1886, in Tennessee, to James R. and Laura Clevenger. On 18 March, 1906, she married Clyde Cannon, son of William Newton and Mary Margaret (Everett) Cannon, in Christian County, Missouri. There they had a daughter, Dorothy J. Cannon. Clyde died from pneumonia on 20 February, 1912.

By the 1920 Federal Census, Pearl was remarried to Alonzo Christopher Boatwright, son of Alexander Christopher and Mary (Beamon) Boatwright. They lived in Christian County, Missouri, until Pearl's death on 31 December, 1963.