Sue Studebaker 

Among scholars of early American textiles, the name Sue Studebaker commands respect and admiration. A nationally recognized expert on early Ohio samplers - decorative needlework pieces stitched primarily by young girls in the early 19th century - Studebaker spent decades uncovering and preserving this overlooked chapter of American cultural history.

Sue described herself as “a little old farm girl from Madison County.” Her family moved to Fairborn during World War II when her father took a job at Wright Field.  She graduated from Fairborn High School and entered Ohio State University, where she met and married Richard Studebaker.  They purchased the John Ewing house on Whipp Road in 1958 and lived there until her death in 2008.  

Born and raised in Ohio, Sue developed a deep appreciation for the state’s cultural artifacts and the stories embedded in them. While she lectured regularly on American antiques at local museums and universities, her lifelong passion was historical preservation, particularly the preservation of textiles made by young girls who recorded their family names, moral lessons, and regional heritage in painstaking stitches. These samplers, beyond their aesthetic value, serve as vital genealogical and sociological documents.

Studebaker’s work culminated in the critically regarded book: Ohio Is My Dwelling Place: Schoolgirl Embroideries, 1800–1850. Through detailed research and documentation, she brought attention not only to the artistry of these objects but also to the voices of the young women who created them—voices that would have been lost to history.  

Ohio Is My Dwelling Place, a landmark study of Ohio’s early schoolgirl needlework, won the 2005 Ohioana Citation for Historic Preservation in the Decorative Arts.

Sue was the curator for Ohio’s 2003 bicentennial exhibition of samplers at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster.  Her efforts helped fuel a renaissance in the study of domestic arts and contributed to museum exhibits across the Midwest and New England. She worked closely with the Ohio Historical Society, curating exhibitions, and lectured nationally. She was a passionate advocate for the inclusion of women's voices in the historical narrative, especially those girls who’s only remaining mark on the world was a piece of stitched linen.

Sue’s other abiding interest was her home, the John Ewing house, which she called “Quaker Hill.”  Sue and her husband Dick spent many hours and dollars restoring the house to its original grandeur. 

Sue Studebaker was more than a historian; she was a keeper of stories, a teacher of forgotten arts, and a bridge between generations. In remembering her, we honor not only her work but the many silent voices she spent a lifetime trying to amplify.

Sue was a charter member and past president of the Centerville (Ohio) Historical Society and a charter member and past president of the Dayton Antiques Study Club. She served as a trustee of the Decorative Arts Society of Cincinnati and she was a member of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, the Winterthur Guild, the Dayton Art Institute, and the Ohio Folk Art Association.

Written by Jerry Strange, CWH Trustee in June 2025