A handmade quilt featuring the names of every member of the Fairfield Community High School Class of 1965 will be on display Saturday at the Hanna House Museum as part of FCHS’s 100th Anniversary weekend.
The quilt was made by Hattie Simpson, mother of Class of 1965 member Gary Simpson. Simpson embroidered the signatures of each member of the class onto individual squares.
The quilt will be featured as part of the Hanna House Museum’s Homecoming Exhibit, which will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The exhibit includes FCHS memorabilia from throughout the school’s history, including letter jackets, photographs, yearbooks, sports items and more.
Admission is free. The Hanna House Museum is located at the corner of South First and East Center streets in Fairfield.
Hattie Simpson, who was homebound for much of her life, devoted much of her time to embroidering quilts. Her husband, Vernal Simpson, was also active in the community and helped with fundraising efforts for projects including the Fairfield Public Library and numerous Lions Club activities. He was a longtime employee of French & Lawrence Implement Company in Fairfield.
The quilt was donated to the museum by their son, Gary Simpson, and features an unusual type of stuffing. The small squares are filled with cleaned nylon pantyhose donated by girls from the Class of 1965. The soft, flexible nylon was used to fill the quilt’s signature blocks.