What a nice story and a lot of memories. I think for now you write up the story and fold it up in the quilt and just let them sit for a bit. The right person and occasion generally presents itself.
When we store quilts, they shouldn't be in plastic. People do different things like fold them within a sheet, or put them in a pillow case after they are folded. You don't want to squish the folds down too tightly, some people will put in a rolled up towel or something, and you want to put it in a box so it doesn't get crushed or at the very least up on top of the closet.
It can be ignored like that but ideally a couple times a year you get it out and refold, so if you went in half then in quarters, you might go in thirds this time.
My husband, also from Michigan brought his grandmother's old sewing machine with him when he moved out here. It isn't a treasure, off brand, that dull grey/black finish, nothing fancy just a plain old sewing machine. But it was always there at the farm, and the sound of it is part of the sound of his childhood. Currently it and it's cabinet act as a lamp stand under a picture that my grandmother painted and that was part of my childhood. Again, not a treasure to any one but a reminder of memories and people past.