P. O. Box 132
McConnellsburg, PA 17233

#24 Zelda's Ins and Outs


#24 Zelda's Ins and Outs

Sheila Keebaugh
1408 BLACK BEAR RD
17238
Municipality: Belfast Township
Structure: 2907
GPS: 39.925437 -78.164688

The block chosen for Zelda Keebaugh's quilt is of the "Ins and Outs" pattern. When her son, Harper, and wife Sheila moved back to Pennsylvania from West Virginia, this quilt was fount deep within a storage box in the homeplace. It was in this home that Harper and his older brother, Edgar, were born.  The house dates back to 1796 and stayed within the Mellott family, of whom Zelda was a descendant, until L.D. Keebaugh bought it in 1921. Having lived through the Depression and WWII, Zelda was very frugal and used what was at hand for her sewing needs.  Her quilt is made from feed sacks and is showing signs of wear.  It was made prior to her marriage to Sam Keebaugh in 1942.  

Like many folks of that era, they did their part in the war effort.  Sam, being the last surviving son, was not eligible for war service, so the two of them packed up and went to work at Fairchild in Middletown, Md.  After the war they returned to their farm.

Their marriage was short lived as Sam was killed in an industrial accident while working on Interstate 70.  Zelda had to sell the cows and give up farming.  She worked in several factories in the area.  Zelda never remarried
and stayed in the home place except for the last three months, when cancer took her life in 1995.