Historic 1888 Shaftsbury Signature Quilt

Quilt Block #29 - Quilt Signers:

Peace Bottum

Stephen Dunlap/Peace Bottum (cousins)

Peace Huntington Bottum born was born 19 Feb. 1885 to H. Merle and Fidie/Fedelia E. (Dunlap) Bottom. Peace Bottom's mother was the sister of George Dunlop who was the father of Stephen M Dunlap. Stephen Dunlap and Peace Bottum were cousins sharing BLOCK: 29. Peace was about three years old when her name was placed on the quilt.

According to the 1900 Federal Census H. Merle (52) and his wife Fidelice/Fidelia E. (52) were living in Shaftsbury with their children: Stella R. (24), Mollie Stark (22), Nathan Hugh (16) and Peace H. (15), as well as H Merle's sister Bertha (34). There was also a servant Mary Oatis (41) living in the same household. Peace's oldest brother, Norman Bottum, had moved out of the household.

Unfortunately, Peace died 29 March 1905 at the age of 20 from tuberculous and heart related issues. She never married, or had children. She is buried with her father, mother and siblings: Norman Dunlap Bottum (1873-1957), Stella R. (Bottum) Barrett (1875-1958), Mollie Stark (Bottum) Peck (1877-1909), and Nathan Hugh Bottum (1883-1948) and their respective spouses in Center Shaftsbury Cemetery.

Stephen Marshall Dunlap was born 3 December 1886 to George B. and Anna May (Whipple) Dunlop of Shaftsbury. George M. and Anna May were married in Shaftsbury 18 February 1886. George's occupation was listed as farmer. When the quilt block was signed in 1888 Stephen Dunlop, their first child, would have been about 2 1/2 years old. Anna May was the sister of Mrs. Leverett Harrington (Block 15). Mrs. Harrington's maiden name was Addie Elizabeth Whipple. Stephen's father George was born in Arlington 22 March 1863 to Marshall and Thalia (Matteson) Dunlop. Anna May Whipple was born 10 September 1861 to Stephen A. and Eliza (Hicks) Whipple.

Both of Stephen's grandparents were early settlers of Shaftsbury. His paternal grandparents were Marshall (1818- 1898) and Thalia Vanilla (Matteson) Dunlop (1820-1901). Both of them are interred in Center Shaftsbury Cemetery. Stephen's maternal grandparents were Stephen A. Whipple and Eliza (Hicks) Whipple. All four of Stephen's grandparents'; Stephen and Eliza Whipple and Marshall and Thalia Dunlop are buried in Center Shaftsbury Cemetery.

The Federal Census of 1870 documents the two households of Marshall Dunlap and Stephen Whipple. Marshall, a fifty-two year old farmer and his wife Sarah (50) were living in Shaftsbury with their four children: Fidelia (22), Thomas (17), Hugh (14) and George (7). The other Census identifies Stephen A. Whipple, fifty-three old miller and his wife Eliza (45) in Shaftsbury with their six children and Eliza's seventy-five year old father, Charles Hicks. The children were; Addie (17) (BLOCK 15), Jessie (14), William (11), Anna (8) (who marries George Dunlap), Edward (6), and Agnes (4). In 1817 Silas Hawes secured a patent for the original steel carpenter's squares. Hawes and Stephen A. Whipple, another local blacksmith went into business together and the Whipple Mill was built in 1823 at the corner of Route 7A and 67A, starting the successful Eagle Square Company.

The Federal Census of 1900 documents the young family's' move from Shaftsbury to 35 Summit Street in Ypsilanti, Michigan. George and Anna were both 37. The reason for the move is unknown. George was a grocer and he and Anna, owned their own house. They lived there with their three children: Stephen, who was now thirteen, Agnus (9), Marcia (7) and Jessie (4). At some point George and Anna move to Los Angeles, California. This researcher was able to find George's death certificate. He died 19 December 1920 from myocarditis and other heart ailments. Anna Dunlap died 15 January 1971 at the age of 90. They were cremated and interred in Inglewood, California.

Stephen stayed in Ypsilanti and married Blanche Margaret Roosen, daughter of John and Johanna (Rudolph) Rosen on 13 December 1913 in Ypsilanti. The Census of 1920 documents Stephen (33) and Blanche (27) living at 49 Summit Street with daughters Georgian M (5) and Dorothy A. (3). Stephen is a machinist in the grocery store industry.

There is a registration card dated 6/5/1917 stating George had three years of service as a private in the Michigan Signal Core during WWI. At that time he was a mechanist. When he registered on 4/27/1942 for WWII he was working for the Ford Motor Company in a bomber plant at Willow Run, Michigan. George was described as being six feet tall, with blue eyes, brown hair and a medium build. Stephen died 13 November 1967 at the age of 80. Blanche passed eleven days later on 24 November 1967. Both are buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Mexico, Indiana. Stephen's father, George Dunlop's sister was Fidelia Bottum making Stephen Marshall Dunlop and Peace Huntington Bottum BLOCK: 29 cousins.