Home Economics teacher Bonnie Leman of Missouri was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame. Photo credit: Quilters Hall of Fame

Many outstanding educators also earn a name for themselves in fields outside the classroom. This is certainly the case with Bonnie Leman, a teacher from Missouri who has been inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame.

Bonnie was born on Sept. 28, 1926, in Purdin, Missouri. When she was only 16 years old, she enrolled at Park University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics with a Minor in English in 1947. After earning her degree, she inaugurated her career as a teacher of English and Home Economics at the junior high level in Shannon City, Iowa. Later she relocated to Abilene, Kansas, where she taught school.

In 1953, Bonnie left Kansas to move to Colorado, where she earned her teaching credential from the University of Denver.  While studying there, she met George, a fellow graduate student, and the two were married. The couple raised seven children together.

By 1969, Bonnie had left the classroom to pursue a career in publishing. She founded Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, the first publication to celebrate the following art to be published in the United States. In fact, she is credited with reviving and fostering an appreciation for the art form. Eventually her readership grew to more than 200,000 subscribers in over 100 countries. She wrote and published numerous books about the making of quilts. In 1982, this accomplished former teacher was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame. In 1994, she was honored with the first Silver Star Award from Quilts, Inc., the parent company of the International Quilt Festival and Quilt Market.

Bonnie Lehman passed away on Sept. 4, 2010, in Arvada, Colorado. She was 83 years old. To read more about her accomplishments, click on this link to an online article about her published by The Quilters Hall of Fame.