Emilie Anna Kathryn Schumacher Tisdale

Emilie's early years were spent in Indiana, where she attended German school, and Wellington, Missouri, outside Kansas City, Kansas. She moved to Kansas City with her family while still a child.

Emilie married August Bronson in 1925, and had two children, Bernice Helen and Richard Wesley. She was a seamstress for over 40 years, specializing in formal dresses. Many of her clients were officers of the International Order of Eastern Star. She was also a long-time member of the Eastern Star where she held many positions.

When her husband August died in 1958 Emilie moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to be with family members. She moved again in 1968 when her family moved to Portland, Oregon. She moved to Vancouver, Washington, when she married Vernon Tisdale, October 31, 1969.

Emilie's illustrious career in traditional rug hooking began in 1951 when she started taking lessons with church friends. Rug hooking is an art involving working on a metal frame that stretches burlap or a similar material. Small strips of colored wool are worked into the material by a small hook. The small strips become part of a picture or design on the top of the material. It is a truly American art form, having been developed and promoted by early Americans in New England and then flourished throughout the U.S. Many smaller pieces are made into pillows, seat covers and wall-hanging pictures.

In 1972, Emilie started passing her knowledge on to students by teaching in her home and attending monthly meetings. She earned her McGowan teaching accreditation and her Jane Olson teacher certification in 1974.

In 1976 while visiting her daughter Bernice and seeing her involvement in a rug hooking camp, Emilie decided to start her own rug hooking camp in the Northwest. Her first camp in 1977 had 60 students and 6 teachers, and was held in Lacy. Washington. After the camp, 13 women met to organize an ongoing group. This effort became the "Northwestern Rug and Tapestry Hooking Guild." The group elected officers and created by-laws, and adopted the Rose logo that Emilie had designed.

In 1978, this group merged with a national group and became part of the Association of Traditional Hooking Artists (A.T.H.A.), 100 national members from around the U.S. met with the Northwest women to create the merger with the strength of the national organization. In 1980, after attending A.T.H.A.'s second annual meeting. Emilie became an honorary member, and all of her original members were made charter members of A.T.H.A. The national organization used Emilie's Rose logo for the next 30 years, and gave her the honor of the office of Regional XI Representative for Washington and Oregon. In 1984, their region became host to the A.T.H.A. national convention.

Emilie continued teaching until her death in 1998, and had the joy of continuing to interact with her many students as well as her granddaughter, Janiece, who is an avid student.

Emilie is survived by her two granddaughters, Beverly Herbert and Janiece Day, her great-grandchildren, Robert and Brian Becker, Katilin and Kellen Shipley, and great-great grandchildren, Emilie, Nathaniel, Jeremy, Mia-Faith and Nicholas Becker.

Locate on Walk:

• Stage Wall (Left Wall), 1-13