Quilter’s are amazing people who are always making quilts for charity organizations. We usually have no idea the impact these quilts have on others.  Karen, left in photo, made a quilt for the Quilts of Valor organization. She gave it to the President of QGI (Quilters Guild of Indianapolis) Christine at the November 2015 meeting.  Karen wasn’t feeling well and left the meeting early, not knowing Christine was going to present her quilt to a fellow QGI member that same evening.  I was presented the quilt at the meeting for my service in the US Air Force.

Karen and I both are also members of the Common Threads quilt guild.  I was in charge of the charity project for 2016 and I chose Quilts of Valor to present quilts to veterans in our community.  At the February meeting I showed my quilt and explained the project.  Karen was at the meeting and she knew she was the maker of my quilt, but didn’t say anything to me.  Karen’s health had taken a turn for the worse, so I spearheaded a project to make Karen a quilt from the board members of Common Threads.  I requested 6 inch squares of earth tone fabrics and Sindy sewed them together and I quilted it with a butterflies design.  I presented the quilt to Karen at the July 2016 meeting.  She loved it and was surprised because most quilter’s are used to giving not receiving a quilt.

Karen’s health was continuing down hill and was told nothing else could be done for her condition.  Since she was now restricted to her home she was keeping in touch with the guild by Facebook.  I called her in October 2016, to request a visit with her and she accepted.  I arrived and enjoyed a visit.  Her husband called me to the side and said, “Karen made your Quilt of Valor.”  She wasn’t going to tell me but I am so thankful that her husband felt I needed to know.  The quilt label had first name and now I am able to add the last name.  The quilt became even more special to me.  Had I not taken the time to go visit I would never had known.

January 2017, Karen was told her condition was failing and her time here was short.  I requested another visit and she accepted.  I brought my quilt and I requested a picture of us together with both quilts that we each took a part in for each other.  I then asked her if I could pray with her and she said yes.  I prayed to our Heavenly Father, the great Physician, Healer and Comforter, that it is a great feeling to be wrapped in quilts made with love, but it is going to be so much better to be wrapped in the arms of our Creator.  I said Amen and left.  One week later, seven days, I received word that Karen had gone on to be with our Loving Father and can now breath on her own and have no more pain and suffering.