Cuesta Benberry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cuesta Benberry (b. September 8, 1923 - d. August 23, 2007) was an American historian and scholar who was considered one of the foremost experts in the history of quilts and quilting. ^[1]

[edit] Early life

Cuesta Benberry was born in Cincinnati, Ohio^[2] and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Benberry obtained a bachelor's degree in education from Harris Teachers College (now Harris-Stowe State University). She later earned her MLS in library science from the University of Missouri at St. Louis. She worked in the St. Louis public schools for 40 years and retired from her job in 1985. She married George L. Benberry in 1951.

In the early 1970s Benberry started to write for a small magazine based in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Nimble Needle Treasures, which was unusual in that it published articles as well as patterns. When it was wound up in 1975 she began to write instead for Quilter's Newsletter, then the only magazine of its kind.

Benberry was a well known quilt historian who did research in many varied aspects of quilting. She is probably best known for her books showing the diverse contributions to quilting by African-Americans. She was inducted into the Quilter's Hall of Fame in 1983.

She was survived by her husband, her son, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her maiden name has not been revealed.