Lois Dodson was one of the original quilters at the Ozark Folk Center.
This Ozark Folk Center State Park 50th Anniversary Legacy Photo is in memory of the
women in my family who were quilters.
With appreciation for their legacy, Janice Sutton
Although I’m not a quilter, my mind’s snapshot of my great grandmother (who died at age 100) sitting in her sewing rocker and hand sewing those little scraps of fabric together is still engrained in my memory. Since most of my clothes were made at home, I can still identify scraps on the quilts I have kept through the years—scraps of my dresses and my brother’s shirts. Both of my grandmothers were quilters as well as my mother in her early years. I can still see the quilt frame in my Grandmother Hinkle’s living room with her friends sitting around it with their needles working those tiny stitches. Those memories have given me a deep respect for those whose hands make quilts.
Lois Dodson began quilting at the Ozark Folk Center during the opening season. She was born in 1915, one of 13 children in her family. Her mother taught her to sew and piece quilts by hand, as well as make clothes on a treadle sewing machine. In an interview with Kay Thomas in 2009, Lois said that although she liked to sew, she enjoyed quilting more.
Lois Miller married Austin Dodson and moved to Mountain View in 1932. The thirties found them working for a ranch in Colorado, near the present day ski resort of Vail. While there, Lois cooked and baked on a woodstove, baking 6 loaves of bread and 48 buns every other day. Opportunities for work took them to Kansas, then to Little Rock where Lois operated businesses in hairstyling and real estate.
The Dodsons retired in 1965 and came home to Mountain View, where Austin had a garden and Lois quilted. When she began quilting at the Folk Center, she shared her knowledge with visitors from around the world. After 12 years as a “master quilter” at the center, she retired to go home and quilt. She made an astounding 700 quilts in her 95 years! One of her special memories was a handwritten note from Vice President Walter Mondale's wife, Joan, after a visit to the Quilt Shop at the Folk Center in the late 1970s. Inspired by the note, Lois began asking people from other countries to sign blocks. She had blocks signed by several political leaders—even a few presidents! She donated her “signature quilt” to the Ozark Folk Center in 1985. Her bicentennial quilt is part of the Clinton Library collection.
A friend who often drove her to Walmart and to appointments in her later life, talked about how gracious she was. She would share stories of her early life, but was always concerned that her friend was “burning her gas”.
Many other quilters have followed in Lois’ footsteps at the Folk Center. Only a few are listed here: Imogean Taylor from Timbo was first, followed by Oma Cooper from Melbourne then Lois, all in the first year. Others include Ortha Younger, Blanche Richardson (pictured at left), Gazelle Mode, Genevieve Dawson, Jan Hickman, Lula Hudspeth and Susan Jewell.
Submitted by Janice Sutton with information from Kay Thomas
The Committee of One Hundred Tribute Wall recognizes contributions to the preservation of Ozark folk culture.
If you would like to help preserve the folk culture of the Ozarks, consider a
The Committee is made up entirely of volunteers so, except for transaction fees, all of your donation funds music, craft, or the herb gardens and, as a 501c3 entity
your donation is tax deductible!
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