102 Year Old Quilting Hero

A FreeSpirit Hero!

A story that truly touches our hearts and I'm sure will touch yours... 

Dorothy Wallace Foisy was born on June 26, 1915 in New Eagle, Pennsylvania and grew up in Monongahela, Pennsylvania over 100 years ago. Her mother died when she was three and her paternal grandmother and grandfather and lots of uncles and aunts raised her and her sister, Ruth. Since she was 6 years old Dorothy has been making quilts. She has always been very artistic.

She started out watching the family dress maker and her grandmother making quilts. She made little quilts for her baby dolls and then baby doll clothes. Over the years she made her daughters most of their clothes and even made matching clothes for their baby dolls.

Her life was full of family (four children), music, travel and art. Dorothy was a wonderful artist and also did embroidery and created beautiful handmade large quilts for beds. She was a natural interior decorator. From reupholstering furniture to building closets and painting entire rooms there was nothing that she couldn’t (or didn’t) do. Always happy and smiling, she was the positive spiritual center of her family.

Whenever there was an opportunity to help someone she was there. From a veteran with no legs in a wheelchair to a waitress with no front teeth - Dorothy was not only their friend she invited them over, gave them money, paid for the dentist, and took them out to eat. Dorothy’s middle name was “giving”!

Dorothy was always very interested in peace and would write to the White House with each new President and discuss the matter with them. She thought wars were so devastating and unnecessary. Mostly women and children were the victims of wars. She even has a personal letter from President Ronald Regan. Her uncles all fought in World War I and she lost her son in December 1963. Kim was a Lt. in the Navy. She had to fight a hard battle to recover from that loss. They made her a Gold Star Mother.

Dorothy has spent the last 30 years in Florida and last fall moved to Oregon to be near her two daughters, Dee Ann and Lynn. Over the last 15 years she has been making hundreds of baby quilts for children in need. Migrant worker's children, unwed mothers, mothers and children at risk, homeless children, etc. etc. The mother's loved the unique colors and designs of the quilts Dorothy made for each and every newborn baby. Dorothy loves babies! 

At 102 she is still making 5-8 baby quilts a month and she isn't slowing down anytime soon. It makes her so happy.

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We are thankful to know such an amazing, selfless women who helps others through her passion of quilting!  Thank you, Thank you Dorothy for touching our hearts as much as you've touched those in need.  Keep on sewing!