Grandma Ervin

Written by Brenda S. Bear (brendasbear@gmail.com). Please do not copy or share my writing without my permission. Thank you for reading my stories.

Dennis and I talked about writing stories that preserve the history of our people in Lewis County, stories that are slowly fading away with each passing generation. I decided to start with a story about my grandmother, Ruth Agnes (Stone) Ervin, who raised her children on Spy Run Hollow in Garrison.

Grandma Ruth grew up in a family that worked tirelessly to make ends meet, often with little more than the basics. Like many in our region, they didn’t have much in material wealth, but they were rich in stories, traditions, and the deep, unspoken bonds that held them together.

As a young girl, Ruth watched her mother and grandmother handcraft quilts, carefully stitching together bits of fabric into beautiful, intricate patterns. Fabric wasn’t something they could easily come by, so many of their quilts were made from old clothes that had been outgrown. These quilts weren’t just functional—they were a vital source of warmth during the cold mountain winters, and each one carried the stories of the family who made it.

Over time, quilting became more than just a necessity for Ruth, it became a way of life. After she married and had children of her own, Ruth continued the tradition, often using scraps of fabric from her family’s old clothes. A shirt from her husband, an old dress from her daughter, each patch told a story. Her quilts carried memories of births, weddings, anniversaries, and losses. These quilts were more than just pieces of fabric; they were the very essence of her life and the community she loved.

The quilts were passed down to Ruth’s children, and eventually to her grandchildren. I have several of her quilts today, one with a "wedding ring" pattern and another with a "flower garden" design. Some of my happiest memories are of sitting with my grandmother as she dug through her bag of fabric, carefully selecting pieces she thought would match. She’d use cardboard, often from an old cereal box (that woman never threw anything away!) to trace out patterns or create her own. Then, she’d pin the fabric to the cardboard and cut it out. I remember one quilt that she worked on for at least two years. It sat in a basket beside her chair, and each day she’d pull out a few pieces and sew them together by hand. Grandma never used a sewing machine. Every quilt I have of hers was made stitch by stitch, by hand. She even added the batting and backing by hand. In today’s world, most quilters use machines to sew, making the job quicker and smoother. But even as Grandma’s fingers stiffened and bowed with age, she kept sewing into her 90s, each stitch a testament to her patience, perseverance, and love.

Each of her quilts are a reminder of the strength, creativity, and simple beauty of life in Appalachia. I’ll pass these quilts down to my daughters and their children, so the love and legacy of this remarkable woman will continue to be felt and seen for generations to come.

Written by Brenda S. Bear (brendasbear@gmail.com)