Lillian Mae Wiskur

Since her first buggy of dolls, Lillian Mae Powley loved dolls. It was this fascination with dolls that led to collecting. In her 40's, her collecting became a passion. She laughed about her nickname, “Lead Foot Lil,” and tells how her middle name was “Go” and that her car automatically came to a stop at a Garage Sale sign.

Those who knew her well can attest to the many miles she traveled for estate sales, garage sales, flea markets and doll sales, all in search of a treasured doll.

She liked to load up her motor home with dolls and antiques and rent a table at a flea market to sell her wares. Funny, she always came home with more than she took. We think that was her grand design—not to sell, but to scout and to buy.

Lillian was a collector’s collector who loved to find treasures along the way. She loved the hunt. She collected antique dolls, books, glassware, china—antiques of all kinds—particularly antique dolls. During her travels, she accumulated dear friends and charming antiques.

She was a successful collector because she had an innate talent for seeing beauty and charm in things big and small. Although she particularly loves Bye-Lo baby dolls, her doll collection included every type of doll, from 3-inch all-bisque dolls to metal dolls to shoulder-head dolls to china heads to 36-inch bisque and composition dolls.

Her doll collection is striking because it is so diverse. It’s as if she ordered a doll from every doll maker around the world in the last century.

As an officer and member of the Northwest Arkansas Heirloom Doll Club of Eureka Springs (Arkansas), Lillian was her club's ambassador at the annual, national meetings of the United Federation of Doll Clubs for 20 consecutive years. During her active years with the club, Lillian sculpted and dressed dolls, presented programs, and hosted meetings.

Lillian Mae (Powley) Wiskur was born in Peoria, Illinois, June 28, 1919. She moved to Harrison, Ark., with her husband, Ralph Wiskur, in the 80’s to retire and be near their grandchildren. She was blessed with a long life. At 91 years, on the morning of February 22, 2011, she was taken home to live eternal with her Lord and Savior.

Enjoy Lillian's doll collection. Today, her dolls are finding new homes with collectors, much like her. Read their stories and learn about their collections. Author-collector Gabo Richter bought a Russian folk doll from Lillian and wrote an article about the dolls and Lillian for the print version of Puppen Magazine. Click to see the online frontpage of puppenmagazin.com.

Antique dolls were sometimes made by hand in America and abroad. For the most part, however, they were manufactured in factories in Germany and France, with porcelain companies, seamstresses, and doll makers combining talents to produce a work of art for a child to adore. Embodied in each antique doll is the culmination of the entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and craftsmanship of generations ago.

Lillian possessed those same qualities. Seeing her doll collection is like meeting her. Oh, and her favorite color was blue.

Enjoy! Happy Doll Hunting!