HEBRON – The children of William (Bill) Graves – Sally Burcham, Sue Spalding and Randy Graves – wanted to honor their father and remember their mother Virginia “Bobbye” Graves with a barn quilt board on Graves’ barn on Graves Road.
And, yes, the road is named after his family. The property was called the Reimer farm in years past. The house on the property was built in 1893.
Bill Graves never lived more than a mile from this farm. He moved here in 1948. As typical of many farms, there are several outbuildings. One is a historic barn with large wooden support beams. There is a tobacco stripping barn with an ice house underneath plus a tobacco barn, corn crib and implement shed.
Both Bill and Bobbye Graves were teachers in Boone County and were married for 69 years. Bobbye Graves never made quilts but loved them for their beauty and history. She collected over 40 quilts which her children and grandchildren are now enjoying.
Active in her community, Bobbye Graves helped arrange the flower show at the Boone County 4-H and Utopia Fair for many years as well as being an active member of the Boone County Farm Bureau Women.
This quilt board “Twin Star” is part of the Florence Woman’s Club’s community service project called the Barn Quilt Trail. The board was painted by the woman’s club and hung by Owen Electric. It can be viewed near 2648 Graves Road in Hebron. Pull into the barn drive but do not go beyond the fence. For a map and more information about this project, go to boonebarnquilts.com