|
Amy Jo Naughton, daughter of Paul & Mary Jo Schreck, contacted
the Barn Quilts of Grundy County office in the Spring of 2010 explaining how
she'd love to do a quilt block for her mother. The Schreck farm, just
north of Reinbeck, is now home to "Grandmother's Cross". The block was
mounted with the help of Alliant Energy in August 2010.
This farm has been in the family for over 35 years ad was purchased by the
Schreck's in 1973. The hog house, which now is home to the beautiful quilt
block, was rebuilt in 1951 after a fire had destroyed the original. The
Schreck's have raised sheep in the barn and is currently used for horses.
The hog house has a hay loft on the top to allow the storage of straw for
bedding throughout the year.
During the Schreck's son's college years, David Schreck, he utilized the hog
house to raise pigs and calves in order to help pay his way through college.
This was a lesson in responsibility that Paul wanted to teach his son. Amy
Jo remembers tagging along behind her brother to help with the evening chores.
Some of the fondest memories Amy Jo has is of helping her big brother bottle
feed the calves and helping to bed down the hog house.
Amy Jo and David collaborated on this quilt block project. They chose the
"Grandmother's Cross" pattern for many reasons. The first was to honor St.
Mary's Church, which was the cultural center of the Murphy Settlement of the
late 1800's and has since been razed and made into a memorial park by the
Doorley family. Mary Jo had been a member of St. Mary's since 1936 and
Paul from 1950. The second reason for picking the block was to honor their
mother, Mary Jo, who is a proud grandmother and whose faith and love of the Lord
has been glue that has bound the family together. |
