More Work of Her Hands: An Embroidered Update

Back in December 2019, I wrote about a lovely sampler I inherited from my husband's grandparents. I have so many beautiful pieces of women's handiwork that it seemed appropriate to finish up Women's History Month with a rewind, and an wonderful update.

When items pass through family hands over many years, oftentimes, the stories behind them get left behind. Such was the case with a cross-stitched embroidery sampler my husband inherited.

The sampler caught my eye—having worked many a cross-stitch myself—as we went through his grandfather Harold Casey's home after his wife, Claretta Hall Casey, passed in 2000.¹ The sampler depicts a simple scene of a house, a couple, and a verse:

Bless Our House, Oh Lord We Pray

Make it Safe By Night and Day.

Somewhat crudely stitched, and bordered by red, blue and yellow flowers, it also bore the signature of the maker: "Helen Taylor." I knew that Grandpa Casey's mother was Nellie Frances Taylor, so I assumed Helen was from her line, but the exact relationship was unknown.²

Detail of Helen Taylor's embroidered handiwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the years, I had asked other Taylor descendants if they could identify "Helen Taylor" yet no one knew who she was. So the item was put aside waiting for the perfect spot on the walls of our home, and the revelation of its maker.

Fast forward to 2019. While preparing an application for the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, I was deep into researching the Taylor family, who trace their roots back to Isaac Allerton and others. I dove into United State Federal censuses to locate another direct-line ancestor, Jim's 3x great grandfather Edwin Alonzo Taylor.

And there it was: In the 1910 census Edwin and his wife Minerva Cushman Taylor were living in Newton, Iowa. In the same household was their son, Frederick M. Taylor, his wife Gertrude, and the couple's two daughters, Sarah, aged 21 and Helen, aged 23.³

1910 United State Census showing Helen Taylor living in the same household as her grandfather Edwan [sic] A. Taylor. 

 

 

Helen Taylor was the older first cousin of Nellie Frances Taylor, the daughter of Helen's uncle Henry O. Taylor; both Helen and Nellie were granddaughters of Edwin and Minerva Taylor.

Given its homespun theme, it's possible the sampler may have been a wedding gift from Helen to Nellie, as she set up housekeeping with her new husband Stephen Henry Casey in 1909.⁴ If so, it is over 100 years old.

Helen M. Taylor never married, and died at age 89 on 16 May 1979. She is buried in Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville, Arkansas.⁵ Sadly, Helen had no descendants to whom to pass this treasure. That which it even more satisfying to know that her work of heart still has a home with her extended family.

Update: Glancing through my Ancestry family tree to remind myself about Helen Taylor, I had a photo hint, and discovered this fabulous photo of a young Helen. The photo's owner graciously gave me permission to post the photo. She estimates that the photo was taken about 1905, so perhaps a few years before Helen stitched the sampler which made its way through her cousin Nellie Taylor to my husband's Casey family. What a treat to connect Helen's photo with the work of her hands.

Helen Taylor, about age 15. Photo circa 1905.⁶

Until next time... 

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NOTES

¹ State of Oklahoma, Death Certificate 6500 1008, Claretta Casey, 3 December 2000; citing Department of Health, Oklahoma City.

² State of Oklahoma, Board of Health, Birth Certificate B20932, Harold Edwin Casey, son of Nellie F. Taylor, 14 October 1915; citing Vital Records, Oklahoma City.

³ 1910 U.S. Census, Jasper County, Iowa, population schedule, Newton, p. 2-A (penned), dwelling 36, family 36, Edwan A. Taylor; image: Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/7391994:7884 : 25 March 2023), citing NARA microfilm publication T624; FHL microfilm: 1374420.

⁴ Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Marriage Record, unknown volume, p. 17, Stephen H. Casey and Nellie F. Taylor, 14 July 1901; database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/63532069:61379 : 25 March 2023); citing County Courthouse, Muskogee.

⁵ Ancestry, Find A Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85611283/helen-m_-taylor : accessed 25 March 2023), memorial 85611283, Helen M. Taylor (1890-1979), Fairview Cemetery, Fayetteville, Washington, Arkansas; gravestone photo by James P. Harter, 2019.

⁶ Unknown photographer, Helen Taylor, ca. 1905. Photo owned by Ancestry member jh12571, "I have the original photo of Helen with Sarah and Edith (my great Aunt)."