Today we had a special quilt presentation for the first friend I met when we moved to Wayne County, TN.
Captain Robert Rains. We met when I went to volunteer at the Historian's Office. He is the county's Historian.
Bob is on the left - his son is in the red shirt.
Bob has recently been diagnosed with aggressive bladder cancer. He is off to Vanderbilt hospital in Nashville to see what his options are. He is 87 and served in the Korean War. Update - the doctors said he is in great shop and if he agrees to the treatments they will operate. Haven't heard if he is going to take the chemo treatments.
The presentation was a surprise with lots of friends and family in attendance.
Bob did tell me that he didn't want or expect a Vet quilt since I had given him a quilt the year before when he was in the hospital with pneumonia. I felt that I couldn't be the one to instigate the presentation so I turned it over to my friend Anne.
Bob has lived his whole life in Wayne County, except during the war and when he went to Memphis to the university.
He was a teacher, coach, principal. Most people call him Mr. Rains or Coach Rains as that is what they grew up calling him. I am so blessed to know him as Bob, my friend.
This quilt was a group project. I cut out the kit, my friend Lavonne pieced it, I quilted it and Anne put on the binding. I think this is my favorite quilt we have made so far and I was saving it to present to Bob at the Veteran's Day celebration.
We only have about 5 tops left to make so the end is in sight.
Today my small group of quilters presented a quilt to Ellis Butler. He served on a destroyer during WWII. He was born in 1925 and enlisted when he was 17 years old. He was award the Bronze Star and a couple more that I can't remember.
He lives in an assisted living complex in Waynesboro, TN. It was such an honor to shake his hand and thank him for his service to our country.
That is Anne in the red shirt, she owns the Fabric Emporium.
Another WWII Vet has moved into the same complex. He isn't originally from Wayne County and some people think we should only be giving to the Vets who were originally from Wayne County. My thought is that any Vet living in Wayne County should get a quilt. Their reasoning is that the long time residents will get mad. I just don't believe that at all. Anne and I aren't from Wayne County and we don't mind giving quilts to each and every Vet here.
The quilts we make are simple and go together easily. As most, 90%, of the quilters in our group are beginners so we can't do anything complicated. This quilt is a simple 9 patch and 1/2 square triangle quilt. His grandson threatened to take it if it wasn't taken care of!
It was a very touching celebration of Mr Butler's life and so glad that I was able to be a part of it.
