In September 2001, Gail Morgan reported the theft of a Blazing Star Quilt which was owned by her mother, Lillian Morrow Morgan. The family last remembered seeing it around Christmas 2000 in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. The house had been broken into and robbed on August 22 and 23, 2001, so it is likely that the quilt was stolen at that time. They reported the theft to the police who advised them to check out auctions, sales and flea markets as well.
Gail writes, “We did just that and discovered about 20 items at an auction house in New Jersey. The auctioneer has been very helpful and we have ID on a ‘fence’ for the thieves.”
They were also told that some of their stolen items were in a local storage area. Among other personal belongings, they are still looking for an overshot indigo and white coverlet marked JM and dated about 1860.
Gail concludes, “The police said they never had a family go seeking their stolen items like we did.”
The blazing star quilt had been made by Gail’s grandmother, Blanche Hess Morrow. The center stars are made of blue and white striped shirting material and the outer stars are red. The rest of the quilt including the blocks between the stars are double pink. The quilt has red binding. It was machine pieced and hand quilted between 1900 and 1926.
