Rug Hooking Traditions: Happy 101st Birthday --- Ellen...

Happy 101^st birthday...... Ellen Jacobs

Ellen is Magdalena Briner Eby's

Great-Granddaughter

Dearest Ellen,

I remember that it was a beautiful autumn day when I met you. you were so very kind and generous to take me on a tour of Perry County, Pennsylvania, visiting so many of the places that were special to your great-grandmother - Magdalena Briner Eby.

Your generosity continued when you loaned me Magdalena’s hooked rug, along with her quilts, for the 2011 exhibit at Rug Hooking Week at Sauder Village – in Ohio...

Rug Hooking Week at Sauder Village, Archbold, Ohio - 2011 Exhibit.
Magdalena's original rug is on top & awarded the prestigious Sauder Ribbon.
Evelyn's Magdalena inspired rug is below it.
Kathy with Evelyn Lawrence.
Evelyn has hooked the entire collection of Magdalena designs & is co-author of the book Rug Hooking Traditions with Magdalena Briner Eby.

More photos from the 2011 exhibit.
Magdalena's original hooked rugs are on the left (on loan from other private collectors)
and Evelyn's Magdalena inspired hooked rugs are on the right.
Magdalena's dog rug (on loan from a private collector) is on top
& Evelyn's dog is on the bottom.

Magdalena's original quilts are hanging & on the platform, on loan from Ellen Jacobs.
All of the hooked rugs in this photo were by Evelyn, inspired by Magdalena's original designs.

and then supported our campaign to create a Magdalena Trail rug on the national quilt trail – at Tuscarora state forest. the very 1^st hooked rug on the quilt trail!

National Quilt Trail - 10th Anniversary Conference - Kathy with founder, Donna Sue Groves

1st Trail Rug Booth at the National Quilt Trail Conference.

I will always be grateful and appreciative of your contributions with documenting Magdalena’s life and hooked rugs. In addition to your contributions, there was considerable research, interviews & digging through archives, which resulted in our 2011 book ...

Rug Hooking Traditions with Magdalena Briner Eby,
the first booking in the Rug Hooking Traditions - Book Series.

and the 2019 installation of our Magdalena historic marker on the Perry County (PA) Heritage Trail....

Magdalena's historic maker was installed in time for Perry County's 200th anniversary celebration in 2020.

The Perry County Bicentennial Committee - Historic Marker Installation Team.

and Your recent donation of Magdalena’s hooked rug to Perry County --- a generous and significant contribution to your community & the rug hooking world...

Deb Smith, editor of Rug Hooking Magazine with Ellen & Gregg Jacobs
holding Magdalena's original hooked rug. In 2020, this rug will be exhibited at the Blue Ball Tavern Museum.

Documenting the lives & hooked rugs of American textile artists is my passion. Along the way, I have had the opportunity to visit wonderful places and meet memorable people. You are a very special person!

I was so tickled when your family recently shared, with me, the video tribute from your 100^th birthday. What an outstanding documentation of your life, your family, and so many wonderful memories.

In that video, I was proud to be standing next to you and Gregg during the 2011 unveiling of the Magdalena Trail Rug at Tuscarora state forest.

The 2011 unveiling of the Magdalena Trail Rug on the National Quilt Trail
at Tuscarora State Forest, Blain, Perry County, Pennsylvania.
Left-Kathy, Gregg & Ellen Jacobs holding Magdalena's original hooked rug.
Right-Deb Smith (editor of Rug Hooking Magazine & sponsor of the Trail Rug)
with Evelyn Lawrence holding Evelyn's (Magdalena inspired) hooked rug.
Also in the photo are family members, Tuscarora State Forest staff,
and in the front row-community members who hand-painted the Trail Rug.