QUILT HISTORY STORIES
ATKINSON, IILLINOIS
GRIDLEY, ILLINOIS
Irene Schramm's Contest Quilt
State Flower Quilt
Ruby Short McKim Design
1933 Century of Progress Quilt
Quiltmaker: Irene Schramm, Gridley, Illinois
Dwyer Collection
Irene (Andrews) Schramm
Birth: July 27, 1892 in Gridley, Illinois (McLean County)
Death: March 7, 1974 in Bloomington, Illinois (hospital)
Buried: Gridley Cemetery
Parents: Thomas and Olive (Walker) Andrews
Siblings: Mrs. Ethel (Andrews) Breese
Mrs. Ruth (Andrews) Holmes
Two brothers deceased
Husband: Frank Schramm
Marriage: May 29, 1909
Children: Mrs. Olive (Schramm) Smith
Thomas Schramm
J. W. Schramm
Roy Schramm
Mrs. Evelyn (Schramm) Foor Two sons deceased
Irene’s Occupation: Housewife
Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) – Gridley Columnist
Frank’s Occupation: Clerk – Furniture Store (1920 Census)
Salesman – Hardware Store (1930 Census)
Organizations: United Methodist Church
Royal Neighbors of America
American Legion Auxiliary (Past President)
Interests: Writing
Quilting
Letter writing ** A patriotic soul, she was known
as “Grandma Schramm” to hundreds of servicemen to
whom she corresponded with.
This quilt was created by Irene Schramm from a Ruby Short McKim series design called State Flowers which she collected and clipped from the Pantagraph, a larger Bloomington, Illinois newspaper. The oral history surrounding this quilt is that it was entered in a “State Flower Quilt Contest 1931-1932” (top prize was $500.00). Then she was clever enough to turn around five months later, add a top section to the quilt with the words Century of Progress 1933 and entered it in the 1933 World’s Fair Contest. This quilt was purchased from an estate sale by Janette Dwyer on September 30, 2003 in Gridley, Illinois. Affixed to the quilt was a blue ribbon that reads “Fall Festival and Colt Show Gridley, Illinois August 29-31, 1940.” This quilt was officially entered in three separate quilt events – hence the title of this article.
If anyone has more information about this quilt, please contact:
Janette Dwyer
Professional Quilt Appraiser and Lecturer
19781 U.S. Highway 6
Atkinson, Illinois 61235
309-936-7618
