No, this has nothing to do with the 1970s band. But if it gives you a peaceful easy feeling, that’s fine.
Elizabeth Marthaler Stauf was a Swiss immigrant to the United States in the late 1870s. She came first to Hiawatha and then to Marysville, where she spent the rest of her life.
When war broke out in Europe, Mrs. Stauf–who probably spoke some German, if not her first language–chose to show her support for her adopted country, even before it had entered the Great War. Using her talents, she created a quilt which repeated the image of a red, white, and blue eagle.
Without further ado, check out the article on Kansapedia for more information.
The point I wish to make is that for folks from the many history museums across Kansas, perhaps you have in your collections a quilt or two from the World War I era that has a story that connects to the home front. Perhaps it’s time to give it some special attention during the centennial.
The Kansas Museum of History received this quilt from Willa Ruth Hall, a granddaughter of Elizabeth Stauf.
Blair Tarr
Blair Tarr is the Museum Curator of the Kansas State Historical Society. He oversees the three-dimensional collections of the Society, but has special interests in the Civil War, Wichita-made Valentine diners, and Leavenworth's Abernathy Furniture. In the last few years he has also done a lot of cramming on The Great War. He is a past president of the Kansas Museums Association and the Civil War Round Tables of both Kansas City and Eastern Kansas. He is currently a board member of the Heritage League of Greater Kansas City.
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