Nearly 100,000 quilts have been individually presented to veterans since the national Quilts of Valor program started in 2003, and central Kansas quilters have provided many of them. Friday evening, local quilters surprised five veterans at Great Bend’s American Legion Post 180 with quilts.
Friends and family persuaded the veterans to go to the American Legion for dinner, not telling them they would be singled out during the evening. Those receiving quilts were:
• Karl Brach, who served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Joyce Bray was the quilt maker.
• Bud Steadman, who served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Linda Shull was the quilt maker.
• Al Kroeker, who was in the Army’s Military Police at Anzio, Italy during World War II. Jeanette Sidman was the quilt maker.
• Pappy Titsworth, a World War II veteran who served as a driver in the Army in Germany. Eloise Winkleman was the quit maker.
• Chad Maneth, a sergeant in the Marines who served in Okinawa and Afghanistan. Alice Stoskoph was the quilt maker.
After the quilt tops were made, the quilting was done by Barbara Watson, except in the case of Titsworth’s, where Winkleman was the quilt maker and the quilter.
Kat Smades, first vice commander of the Post, said the quilts are a way to thank veterans for their service.
“It’s a way that we can honor some of our older veterans that maybe didn’t get the thanks or the honor that they deserved at the time,” she said. (Maneth was included as an honorary “older” veteran because his younger brother was presented a quilt during his homecoming.)
Debbie Berkley, a member of the Golden Plains Quilting Bee, explained that some women from Great Bend have been making quilts for veterans since the Quilts of Valor organization was started by a Blue Star mother.
“Each year the quilts were taken to the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, where they were displayed and delivered to veterans,” she said. “Quilts were sent to Fort Riley, Wichita, Leavenworth and other places, but none of the returning veterans from the Great Bend area seemed to receive one.”
The local Quilts of Valor Bee started in 2012 because the quilters wanted to see where their quilts were going, often presenting them in person so the veteran would see who made his or her quilt.  The American Legion Post was contacted and offered a place to sew. They, too, were interested in presenting the quilts to local veterans as part of their welcome home ceremonies, and to veterans in the hospital and retiring veterans.
Several quilts have been presented prior to Friday’s program. Each comes in a presentation pillowcase with a thank you and care instructions.
The American Legion Auxiliary has recently offered to help fund the cost of fabric and quilting, Berkley said.
Other members of the quilting group are: Earlene Arnold, Susan Gray, Mary Lou Weiser, Eileen Huslig, Debbie Jones, Sharon King, Girl Scout Taylor Dougherty, Judy Burnette, Doris Berkley and Joyce Burnham.
The Golden Plans Quilts of Valor Bee meets at the American Legion, 1011 Kansas Ave., on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Anyone is welcome to bring a sewing machine and sew with the members. Donations may be sent to the Auxiliary and write QOV or Quilts of Valor in the memo on the check.