John Manning, the lead researcher at Country School Genealogist LLC, has over thirty years of research expertise. With a distinguished 40-year career as a US Army officer and federal employee, he brings deep expertise that enriches genealogy research and family history narratives. John is actively involved in writing, lecturing, and providing consultations on a range of genealogy topics, including Irish ancestry, military records, and the settlement of our forebears in the Great Plains states.
Date: September 26, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Location: Central Resource Library - Carmack Room 87th & Farley, Overland Park, Kansas
Quilting and Genealogy: Stitching Together the Fabric of Our Lives
Speaker: John Manning, Country School Genealogist
Most people wouldn’t immediately think about connecting genealogy with quilting. When we talk about genealogy, we usually picture stacks of records—birth, marriage, and death certificates; immigration stories; military service; occupations; and all the places a family has lived over time. But quilts can tell stories too. They’re an often-overlooked source of family history. The fabrics, patterns, stitching, and even handwritten inscriptions can reveal personal narratives that never made it into official documents. So when you look at it that way, it makes perfect sense: genealogy and quilting can work hand in hand, each adding depth and color to the story of a family’s past.