When I was growing up, I can remember my grandmother Ninnie McCormick having an all day quilting session in the living room of my grandparents home on Hillview Drive. The quilt racks were hung from the ceiling, and lots of my grandmother’s lady friends, neighbors and relatives would come and help with the quilting. A covered dish dinner was also shared at these special times. Alene Gabbard Savage told me each time the ladies in her neighborhood in the Heard Ridge community of Pickett County where she grew up finished a quilt and it was ready to be taken out of the quilting frames, a young, unmarried person was picked to stand at each corner of the quilt. A cat was then brought in and placed on the quilt, and whichever corner the cat ran to in order to jump off the quilt, that was the next person who would get married. Days such as these are just memories now. It’s sad to say, but they no longer exist. If only these quilts that help connect us to the past could somehow share with us how they each came into existence, what wonderful stories they could tell. This is certainly true with a quilt Ronald Dishman was lucky enough to become the owner of. It’s origins can be traced back to the Taylors Crossroads Community, and the story of this quilt has been pieced together like this: There was once a Presbyterian church and a Methodist church located right in the middle of Taylors Crossroads. The building where the Methodist church held services still stands today, but it hasn’t been used for church services for a long, long time. Mr. and Mrs. George Taylor donated the land where each church was located. I was told the two churches, one known as the Taylors Crossroads Presbyterian, and the other as the Taylors Crossroads Methodist church, were both built around the same time, and the buildings were similarly constructed. The Presbyterian church at Alpine was the mother church for the Taylors Crossroads Presbyterian church. The minister, Dr. J. H. Miller, who served at the Alpine church also held services at the one in Taylors Crossroads.

The quilt is remarkably good shape to be as old as it is. The reason for its preserved state is that for many years, it had been stored in box at the bottom of an old trunk in the upstairs of the home Emmet and Hettie Keisling located in the Hatcher Hall community. It is believed that Emmet Keisling was the lucky person to win the quilt when it was sold at the fund raising event for the Taylors Crossroads Presbyterian church. Eventually the quilt, like so many today, ended up being auctioned off when the personal belongings of Hettie Keisling were sold.

Even though I lived in the Taylors Crossroads community for many years, I had no idea there was ever a Presbyterian church there. As part of my research for this story, I was invited to visit in the home of Quannie Garrett, an aunt of Ronald Dishman. Quannie’s parents, Jasper and Louella (Ellie) Worley, were active members of this church, and it was because of their hard work and support of the church that Quannie ended up with the very large Bible that was used in the worship service of the Presbyterian church. Ronald did some research about the Bible and has determined that more than likely, it was published in the early 1800's. I have never seen a Bible like this one before, and just out of curiosity, those visiting with Quannie the day I was there to talk with her about this story decided we should determine just how much this Bible weighs. Bathroom scales were used, and the answer was almost 30 pounds. Quannie told me how the Bible somehow survived being abandoned in the Presbyterian church building after lack of attendance made closing the church necessary. Eventually those who attended the Presbyterian church merged with the Taylors Crossroads Methodist church, and the Bible found a new home. Services were eventually discontinued at the Taylors Crossroads Methodist church, and many of the members then began attending Martin’s Chapel Methodist in the Oakley community. The Bible was again abandoned and left in Methodist building at Taylors Crossroads for a time. But one of the members, Lois Ferrell, remembered how Quannie’s parents had supported the Presbyterian church through their hard work, and brought the Bible to her to keep.

George Roberts bought the property on which the Presbyterian church stood, and even though he tore the old church building down, the lumber was not destroyed. He used it to build the house he and his wife, Alva, lived in for many years, and today is occupied by his son, Ronald, his wife, Delberta, and Ronald’s brother, Dale Roberts.

Even though those days are just memories now, the evidence of the good times shared in the making of the Taylors Crossroads quilt that helped to raise money for a little country church can be appreciated through Ronald’s quilt. It’s very fitting that he should now be the owner since 14 of his relatives helped with the making of the quilt. And understandably so, it’s one of his most prized possessions.