BookTalkers - Feb 12 @ 3pm

Join us at the library 

for our second Sunday 

afternoon BookTalkers 

program. Refreshments 

afterwards.

 

On Sunday, Feb 12,at 3 pm,  

Marlene Siepel, will tell us

 of  the  inception of an idea

 that  grew into a 5-year 

display of historical quilts and 

then into an actual book.

Marlene Siepel

Marlene Siepel was the library director at the Lordsburg Hidalgo Library in 2007

when the idea that a quilt show would be an excellent way to show pioneer women's contribution to the settling and homesteading of Hidalgo County.. 

Volunteers worked on the getting people to show their quilts and interviewed the 

quilt owners,  or if possible, the quilt maker.  The original requirement was that the

quilter had a family member connection to a resident of Hidalgo County.  

Hand-sewn quilts of original homesteaders to Hidalgo County came out of cedar chests. 

Siepel explains in a Hidalgo County Herald article,  

"Many of the women led homesteader lives in the unsettled territory or 

early statehood days of Southwest New Mexico.  A number of women

continued quilting through the Great Depression and WorldWar II.  Their biographical histories give a picturesque description of the lives 

they led and offers genealogical information for their families. Some

women were able to give their own first account information for the biographies.  All information is authentic and an important part

of New Mexico History."

 

The 2-day quilt show continued to happen for five years, 

2007 to 2012, with a total of 350 quilts & hand-work pieces displayed over the years.  Biographies of each quilter was shown with the display.  The quilts became a genealogical journey for Hidalgo County.

Ladies of the "Boot Heel" - Their Stories with Quilts highlights 107 quilts pictures with 

biographies of their makers. Books will be for sale with proceeds going to the Friends

 of the Lordsburg Hidalgo Library.

The Heritage Quilt show and the followup book came about through a cooperative

effort of many individual volunteers, the community & organizations, including:

• The Lordsburg Hidalgo Library, 
• Lordsburg Hidalgo Chamber of Commerce,
• Lordsburg Hidalgo County Museum, 
• Lordsburg County Herald, 
• NMSU Hidalgo County Extensive Service,
• City of Lordsburg, Hidalgo County,
• and Hidalgo County Tourism.

This small spark of an idea to give women pioneers a place in at annual community

event  grew because community groups and individuals were able to join hands and

make it happen.  Yet the best outcome of the effort was important

oral history was documented and saved for  eternity. 

Siepel was the library director at Lordsburg Hidalgo Library for 27 years. 

Her husband, Charlie, is Professor Emeritus for the N M Cooperative

Extension Service at NMSU.   He retired  as the Southwest District

Director  for the NM Cooperative  Extension Service when they moved

Lincoln County in 2014. Siepel  currently teaches line dance at the

Capitan Senior Center &  Canaan Trail  Baptist Church.  

If you have a heritage hand-sewn quilt, bring it to Capitan Public Library Booktalkers program on Sunday, Feb 12, at 3pm.  The audience will have their own brief journey through quilts to pay tribute to our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters who passed down family quilts to us! The quilt tells the story.
(Shown quilts were made by Sharon Stewart's maternal grandmother from Fairy/Cransfil Gap, TX)