Quinton Walls

Grandma Emms" Rug Company

Like Mellencamp says, "I was born in a small town." Virden, Illinois, population 3800. My whole family is from here. My momma is from 14 brothers and sisters, the Matattall kids all lived there youth out here. My dad's whole family is from here. My great grandma Emms is the matriarch of the Walls' side. She had 5 girls. My grandma Walls, aunts Margie, Dorothy, Darlene, And Helen who passed shortly after birth. She was literally the coolest human being I've ever known. She lived to 1 month before her 100 birthday. She made munitions during world war 2. She helped found an United Assemblies of God church in Virden. My grandpa Harry was killed by an exploding tractor tire in grandma's 30's and she never remarried. She played the banjo, she was the best Jeopardy at home player I've ever seen. Our houses were right next to each other. Her and my dad grew side by side gardens every year until she couldn't physically tend to it anymore. I was born in 1980, grandma was already 72. The coolest thing she did was make handmade rag rugs on an old loom. People from our town would bring their old clothes in trash bags to her, and she would make them a rug. She charged 10 dollars, i guess it was enough to supplement the little money she got from social security.