Ziegler Family Crest
Block Number: 60Ziegler Coat of Arms
By Martha McCauley
If you happen to be in the Mackey Farm Community and turn down Mackey Farm Drive, take note of the latest quilt block, called the Ziegler Coat of Arms, to be installed by the McDowell Quilt Trail at the home of George and Dorothy Ziegler. The Ziegler family coat of arms consists of a dragon’s head, a shield, and ribbons extending out from each side of the shield. The ribbons represent the town of Horgen, Switzerland, where George was born; and Greenock, Scotland, Dorothy’s birthplace. The dragon’s head and shield symbolize the protection extended down through the generations. The seven colors in the coat of arms represent the seven siblings and their spouses, from which there are 114 descendants. The earliest recorded date on the family tree is 1540.
George’s parents relocated to Scotland in the 1930s to work in a textile mill located in Balloch. The mill was eventually purchased by the Americans and became known as United Merchants of New York. Eventually George became employed by the company; met Dorothy, who worked in the office; a romance ensued and wedding bells rang. George and Dorothy, along with their two children, David and Michelle, relocated to the United States in 1980, so George could continue his work with the United Merchants plant in Old Fort.
The Zieglers quickly became acclimated to their new community, with the children being involved throughout high school in the Marion Mariners swim team, which Dorothy helped start, and David later helped with coaching. These days, George is a substitute teacher and a volunteer with the McDowell Quilt Trail, helping with the construction of the quilt blocks. Dorothy is employed at a local doctor’s office. They still have relatives who live in their respective birth countries and make frequent trips to visit family.
There was much deliberation about using something Scottish and something Swiss to depict their countries of origin in the quilt block design, but ultimately decided to use the Ziegler coat of arms, which proudly hangs on the front of the Ziegler residence.
