Maritime-themed quilt finds its way to museum in time for ceremony
by Peter Jakey–
Managing Editor
The sinking of the freighter Carl D. Bradley was commemorated last Saturday with the annual bell-tolling event at the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum in Rogers City.
Monday, a windy November day, was the 55th anniversary of the sinking of the ship that once was the pride of the Bradley fleet. Lost were 33 of the 35 crewmen.
The event brought a capacity crowd to the museum. The Bradley bell, which was recovered from the wreck at the bottom of Lake Michigan is tolled for each soul lost when the Bradley no longer could sustain punishing waves from the violent storm, split in two, and sunk.
Family members of the lost men, along with relatives and retired Great Lakes sailors took part. Cadets from the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City were the first to ring the historic bell and then stood behind museum director Dave Erickson, who read the rest of the names.
What made this year’s ceremony a little different was the presentation of a maritime quilt that includes the Bradley, Daniel J. Morrell, Edmund Fitzgerald and Cedarville, as well as the Coast Guard cutter.
The quilt was found in unusual circumstances.
Additionally, there is genuine interest in finding out more about the person who made it.
Was the person a relative of a sailor lost that November night?
Or did he or she read a book about the wreck?
With so many intricate and accurate details depicted on the quilt, museum officials would really like additional information about the creator and may reach out to newspapers in the Fenton and Flint area.
The quilt was purchased at St. John Catholic Church along North Adelaide Street in Fenton. It is 18 miles south of Flint.
The church was conducting a basement sale last spring. The quilt was folded in a closed box on the floor, and that is where former Posen resident Eleanor Kroll Dembny found it.
“(She) looked inside, brought the huge quilt from the box to find she knew about the four shipwrecks, especially the Carl D. Bradley,” said museum staff member Linda Knopf, during Saturday’s presentation. The quilt hung from a support near the ceiling and curled out onto to the floor next to the podium.
There are no markings on it, or a name telling who made it.
“When (Eleanor) inquired of the people working at the church sale, no one knew where it had come from or who might have brought it there,” said Knopf. “For this priceless quilt, she purchased it for $20. All of you, I am sure, know the value of a hand stitched quilt…it is worth much, much more.”
The most extensive information on the quilt is about the crew of the Bradley. Each crew member’s name was embroidered by hand and each was marked as a survivor or lost. It has ages, positions and hometowns.
“I have checked it very closely for any mistakes in information, dates, spelling of names, I did not find any,” said Knopf. The omission of “Jr.” following Earl Tulgetske’s name was brought to Knopf’s attention following Saturday’s ceremony.
Eleanor has since given the quilt to
“I could hardly believe my eyes and ears when Cecelia showed it to me and relayed the story,” said Knopf.
Had someone found it that had no knowledge of the historic shipwrecks, “it could have been sent to a mission in a foreign country, or tossed into a garbage pit.
“Thanks to Eleanor Dembny it came to Rogers City where everyone knows about it.”
The quilt is where it belongs, but the mystery of the quilt maker, who has a great appreciation of Great Lakes history, remains.
The maritime museum conducts its third bell-tolling event this month of the sailors lost on the Morrell. It is Saturday at 2 p.m. Earlier this month, the museum commemorated the great storm of 1913.