Below is the top and bottom of my quilt telling the story of Juliana’s Love. Ultimately, I see this quilt as showing us how loving one another can ultimately bring us closer to our ultimate purpose in life. In addition, love has consequences, love is messy, love is sometimes disruptive, but it takes the ability to see through the frayed edges to see the beauty.
Juliana met Merle Culver in her early thirties. Merle had already had 3 children and a wife. At that time, Juliana was living with and taking care of her elderly parents. Juliana was offering piano lessons in the community, and Merle was working around at odd jobs. Census records show that at the time that they met, Merle was working in a grocery store. I imagine Juliana speaking with Merle at the grocery store or Merle taking piano lessons, and then the two of them getting to know and love each other through this way, but it’s a small town, so who knows what the true story was that brought them together. The story I went with on the quilt was that Juliana was a piano player and ended up teaching him some lessons or playing for him, and this acted as a gateway for their love. There are two sides of the live edge knotted fabric pieces – one side on the right that represents Merle, and one on the left that represents Juliana. In each of these main pieces, there are small off-shoots, like roots or branches – for Juliana, these represent the other people in her life – her parents, siblings. For Merle, it represents his three children and wife. They come together through the piano – the black and white keys. Then, they decide to elope to New Jersey, Merle follows his dreams of becoming a funeral home director and goes to school in New Jersey for a year. Then, they move up to Castleton-on-Hudson, and Merle starts his own Funeral Parlor. They also become politically active in the community, Merle and Juliana lead local groups where they have social events, gatherings, and debates.
What struck me about this story is that this love is something that is not that common, especially in the early 1900’s, and even today. This is a story of a woman who waited to marry, and at the point where most if not all of her female friends at this time had already had husbands, children, families, she had not. She met a man who had already had a family and three small children, fell in love with him, and they both favored their love over their past, moving away to pursue their dreams.
Later in life, Merle died and Juliana became ill at a few times and needed caring for. Aunt Lena Mayo went down for some time to live with Juliana and help take care of her, and so did Grandma Addie Jane Whitford for a few weeks as well.
Ultimately, love takes us in this beautiful journey, however fleeting, for however long, until something does them part. Juliana and Merle loved one another and this is what brought them closer to being themselves – human, and we see that even though it wasn’t for very long, it wasn’t forever, it wasn’t always pretty, there were some frayed edges, knots, and dead-ends, but it was quite beautiful.
Jiliana Spaulding born in 1885 to Alva Spaulding, brother to Nelson and Henry. Juliana had 5 other siblings, and was the youngest. She lived till 1988.
These were the people she was living with in 1900
NameAlva G SpauldingAge62
NameJennie SpauldingAge55
NameLeonard SpragueAge23
NameOrtha SpauldingAge20
NameHenry LangAge20
NameJennie WolcottAge20
NameJulia SpauldingAge14
Alva, her father, died in 1918. Henry and Nelson both lived till 1934. Henry lived in 26 Seminary st., Brandon, Rutland, Vermont, USA. Henry was a carpenter, and last he was recoeded living in Moriah was in 1900. He was a widow, and remarried by 1910 and had moved out to Vermont.
In 1918, her father died. In 1925 census and she was living with her 80 yr old mother, Anelbertine (Jennie). Her mother died in 1934 at age of 89.
1930 she resided in NJ with Merle, who was studying to be a funeral home director? This was their residence in NJ: 414 Westminster Avenue, apt 102, Elizabeth, Union, New Jersey, USA
They moved to Castleton in 1932. By 1935, had moved to Castleton in the following address: 58 North Main St. Castleton-on-Hudson, Rensselaer, New York
Merle Retired in 1962, had died in 1968 after a long illness
Worked as a barber, then a grocery store clerk
While at castleton
Merle
Lucy Seaver Miner quilt
https://adirondack.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/E778007F-AC19-4537-9791-355417513565
Spaulding House?? An Inn on Main st
https://adirondack.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/159AB45A-D372-415D-B249-013176484550
History of crown point – spaulding: https://adirondack.pastperfectonline.com/library/65EF1EA2-C1E6-4E44-8607-658931173168
Spaulding’s history of crown point
https://archive.org/details/spauldingshistor00spau/mode/2up
Lena Mayo
- 2nd youngest daughter to Nelson, youngest was harriett
- Harriett died in 1903 in childbirth
- Hariett lived with Nelson and Mary, her father went to California
- Lena married in 1912, had kids, died 1982 – lived with Juliana in end and was taken care of by Eloise McLellan and Addie Jane
- 1920 census shows that she was living in same house as Mary and Harriett and Nelson with her kids – Harriett is just married by now, and has Addie by 1925
- By 1925 had moved out to their own house
- By 1935 was living in 533 Park St Moriah Ny
Sewing With Nick 