Building on Bellgrove's past - one quilt block at a time

Building on Bellgrove Grange’s past — one quilt block at a time

ROCKFORD BAY — Ron Evans never realized what had sat in his closet for so many years would make so many people happy.

Evans donated quilt blocks with autographs from women members of the Bellgrove Grange from the 1930s and 1940s to the grange.

The ladies of the grange then made two king-sized quilts with the autographs so they can be a conversation piece at grange meetings and events such as the North Idaho Fair for years to come.

"I figured that I'd be kicking the bucket one of these years and my rug rats would throw them away," Evans said of the quilt blocks. "I'm glad to see these quilts put together because they've sat in a box in my house for more than 20 years."

Evans, who formerly ran the old Fighting Creek Store near the grange south of Coeur d'Alene, was given the quilt blocks and some other old treasures from the Bellgrove area by the Modine family, which homesteaded behind the store.

"I just wish I would have made the donation when (E.B. and Claudia) were still alive," Evans said.

The 25 or so autographs on the blocks are names of mothers, grandmas, aunts and friends of members of the Bellgrove Grange today.

"We wanted the ladies (from the 30s and 40s) to be remembered," said LaNette Uriguen, who made the quilts along with Elaine Ward, Lorna Barrowman and Pat Proctor. "It's what the ladies meant it to be at some point. Now their names can be hung up for people to look at."

Uriguen said the ladies group got together monthly for lunch, a skit and to quilt. It's what many rural neighbors did back in the day.

Uriguen said making the quilts with their names for the community to enjoy keeps that tradition of togetherness alive. The present-day grange members refer to it as "a blast from the past."

It's a project that will keep the grange tied to its roots for generations to come. Ward said the quilts will likely be kept by families with long-time ties to the Bellgrove area such as the Shriners and Allmans because the grange hall can become damp and damage the quilts.

The grange, founded in 1926, has 31 members, which is about half of its number 20 years ago.

"We try to keep it going, but it's been hard," Ward said. "Granges were originally for farmers, but nobody farms any more. So we keep it going as a community center as a place to meet and keep in touch with each other."