Quilts of Valor

Six residents of Concordia Retirement Community were recently honored in a lasting way by the Quilt of Valor Foundation when they were each awarded a quilt in appreciation for their service and sacrifice in serving our nation. A Quilt of Valor is a quality, handmade quilt that is awarded to service members and veterans who have been touched by war.

The Quilt of Valor Foundation was founded in 2003 by Catherine Robert after she had a vivid dream of a veteran who was in utter despair before his visage changed to a man wrapped in a quilt. The message to Catherine was one of hope and healing.

From the beginning, Catherine had a high standard of excellence for the quilts. They must be of a specific size, hand or machine quilted, and specifically labeled. A Quilt of Valor must be awarded, not handed out, and a record is made that it was given. The quilt unequivocally says, “Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in serving our nation.”

As of February 2023, more than 340,000 quilts have been distributed nationally. Quilt of Valor groups can be found in every state. The groups pay nominal dues to be a part of the organization and individual members sew and assemble the quilts.

Susan Richmond is the district coordinator of the Northwest Arkansas Quilt of Valor Foundation division that serves Benton, Washington and Madison counties. She began working with Quilts of Valor in Rogers and Fayetteville, but the group disbanded due to the pandemic. Susan is now a member of the Calico Cut-Ups Quilt Guild. The group meets at St. Theodore’s Episcopal Church in Bella Vista on the first Wednesday of every month from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

Susan presented the Quilts of Valor to Ray Dore, Jerome ( Jiggs) Gaedtke, Wes Hill, Russ Pope, Dave Thomas and Art Thrun. The ceremony started with the Presentation of Colors led by serviceman Bill Dieleman in full uniform, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Nancy Traynor, a resident of Concordia Retirement Community, played The Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America on the piano while a packed group of family, friends and residents sang along. Susan spoke briefly about the Quilt of Valor Foundation, before presenting each veteran with their own unique quilt. The veterans were then given the opportunity to talk about what the quilt meant to them. You could see how moved the veterans were. To these servicemen, the quilts represented the love and appreciation every individual in the room felt for them.

I have seen servicemen proudly display their quilts in a myriad of ways. It is a special opportunity for them to share their service experiences, which are as unique as the quilts.

We want to thank the Quilt of Valor Foundation for recognizing these residents, as well as every serviceman who has given of themself to defend our freedom. God bless America and those who have sacrificed to defend our great country!

Veterans have always held a sacred place in our hearts here at Concordia. I love the quote from John F. Kennedy: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

It isn’t enough to say thank you, we need to show our gratitude. At Concordia we remember and honor the service and sacrifices of our veterans. If you would like to learn more about Concordia or view our Wall of Honor, call us today at 479-855-3714.