Quilts tell 130 years of Ponca City UMC stories
By Marlys Cervantes
First United Methodist Church members began their observance of 130 years of service to the Ponca City community by hosting a “Stitches Through Time” quilt show honoring works from 1893 to 2023. Quilts were brought from Ponca City, Newkirk, Blackwell, and Tonkawa, and as far away as Texas and Colorado. They were mostly from individuals but also from groups — including other church groups who had made quilts together.
Over a hundred visitors enjoyed viewing the more than 180 quilts brought by 38 people in the community for the event. Each quilt had a card which told its story, and there were many stories to be told.
Both the ages of the quilts and the immense type of work put into each were diverse in nature. According to coordinator of the event, Mary Lou Lorett, who worked with the 130th Anniversary Committee of the church, there were “quilts that were hand and machine embroidered, appliquéed, t-shirt quilts, counted cross stitch, Quilts of Valor, patterns from Kansas City Star newspaper popular in the 1930s to modern designs and colors.”
Lorett also mentioned that one unique quilt was woven on a hand loom from the fleece of a sheep herder’s flock, while another family quilt had four generations work on the same quilt. The diversity of the selections shown was beautiful and a wonderful representation of the strong and poignant stories quilts can tell.
FUMC Ponca City has many stories to tell itself. The church was the first in Ponca City and was established with the Land Run. Services first began in homes and then moved to a small, frame building before moving to larger ones as it grew. The present brick building located on the corner of 6th Street and Central Avenue was built for the church in the 1920s and has been filled with stories ever since.
The church celebrated with a potluck picnic with games, pioneer Methodist impersonators, music and more, on October 21. It was a wonderful birthday celebration for the church.
On Sunday, October 22nd, the celebration included several past congregants and pastors. Rev. J.D. Ward preached, Rev. Tom Howard sang the Lord’s Prayer, and Rev. Tari Carbaugh presented the children’s moment.
Pastor Leon Veazey said, “I am so excited to have the privilege of celebrating 130 years with this wonderful church family and so many people who have served and worshiped here before me!” The church celebrated 130 years of service to this community and focus on the future.