As a child, I was fascinated by my Granny's trunk that was in the attic of our family home. I was too young to read the writing on the white piece of fabric but I did know it was a family tree. When I was old enough to read, the tree was gone.
My cousin, John Hopkins, has been researching the Butchart and Moyer families for years and when I visited him in 1998 he produced the family tree for my grandmother, Vinetta Tremaine Butchart.
I was amazed to see such detail in a hand-stitched item. I handwriting was perfect and the stitching immaculate. There were needle marks from a sewing maching around the edges, which could indicate it was a cover for a crib or cradle.
The family tree includes my grandmother's birth date and the details of the marriage of her parents, Edward N Butchart and Maria Moyer. Edward's parents and siblings are listed on the tree.
What a great source to get started on a Genealogical adventure!
Granny's tree was dated Xmas 1891. Imagine my surprise when John produced a similar piece of needlework dated New Years 1892.
This tree has the birth information for my grandmother's sister, Isabel Vivian Butchart. It contains the same marriage information of Edward Butchart and Maria Moyer, but this time Maria's parents and siblings are listed in detail.
I believe both trees were stitched by my great-grandmother, Maria Moyer while she was recovering from the birth of Isabell Vivian Butchart.
Maria Moyer Butchart went on to have five more children; I wonder if there are pieces of needlework to honour Clayton Goldwin Butchart, Leila Veronica Butchart, Elwood Alexander Butchart, Willis Bowman Butchart, or young Edward John Butchart who died before he was one year old.
