One man’s quilts coming to Kalona

by Mary Zielinski
He admits that he “always has to be busy,” something that has led Merlyn Beckler, 78, to create and collect all manner of things, and some of the most interesting, unusual and beautiful of those creations go on display late this month in the English Gallery museum of the Visitors Center in the Kalona Historical Village. The show will be hung May 28 and remain in place through August.
The Tipton resident, who taught industrial arts for the Tipton School District for about 30 years, creates embroidered panels that initially he assembled into quilts, one for each of his four children. Later, his niece, Juanita Seward of Wellman took over the final quilting.
“He does mitered corners,” she said of his distinctive style. “I would have done just straight ones.”
The corners may well be a transferance of Beckler’s skills with all things mechanical and his incredible collection of carved wooden projects and scaled replicas of everything from a 19th century steam engine to an 18-wheeler.
As for the embroidery and quilting?
Well, he stressed that as the youngest and only brother to six older sisters, he really didn’t have any choice but to acquire some of their hobbies. Two of his sisters, Laurene Carter and Margaret Hazelton live in Wellman. And, yes, they each have a quilt made by their brother.
By the time Beckler graduated from high school and went into the Air Force (where he was tailgunner on a B-29 for four years), he had long given up needle work. Instead he went on to Northwest Missouri State College, graduating with a BA degree in Industrial Arts and coaching.
Then daughter, Toni, needed help with an embroidery project and ‘it all came back.” Actually, he said “It wasn’t too bad. I could sit and watch TV and do this at the same time.”
No word on just how much television he has watched, but Beckler will have 20 quilts for the exhibit in Kalona, the first time the internationally known quilt museum will have a literal one man show. It is strictly a show, none of the quilts are for sale.
“He doesn’t sell any of them,” said Seward. “He gives them to family members.”
Beckler’s other handiwork is on exhibit at Miss Molly’s Attic in Tipton.