Legacy of Four Generations: The Quilting Heritage of an African American Family

At 98 years old, Laverne Brackens remains lively and independent in her Fairfield, Texas home, welcoming a steady flow of visitors. Supported by a quick-witted health aide who visits thrice weekly, she is surrounded by a large family network including two younger sisters, a younger brother, five children, and over 100 grandchildren and great-descendants, many of whom live nearby and frequently stop by her porch.

Since gaining wider recognition through a prestigious heritage fellowship in 2011, Brackens' home has become a destination for quilting enthusiasts. Visitors come to admire her vibrantly colored, improvisational quilts that radiate warmth and creativity. Her house is marked by bright vinyl signs on the metal fence, celebrating the official declaration of October 13, 2022, as “Laverne Brackens Day” by the town’s mayor.

Despite the many visitors and relatives, a particular wooden trunk with brass clasps, placed near her sewing table, remains off-limits. This “treasure chest,” as described by her daughter Sherry Byrd, 74, a respected quilter herself, holds a special significance. Byrd admits she is never allowed to open the trunk without explicit permission.

Known as the “four-generations trunk,” it houses quilts crafted by Brackens, her mother Gladys Henry, her daughter Sherry, and several grandchildren. Crowning one pile is a medallion quilt by Sherry, reminiscent of a stained-glass window with vibrant flames of color framed in black. Beside it rests a plush quilt made from the distinctive purple velvet bags of Crown Royal whisky bottles—a unique material gifted years ago by one of Brackens’ son’s friends.

Recalling the origin of this unusual quilt, Brackens shared, “He bet me fifty dollars that I couldn’t make anything out of these bags. I won that bet and have been crafting quilts from them ever since.”