Quilts of Valor given to local veterans

On Wednesday, November 10 the National Grange presented 13 Quilts of Valor at the 155th Annual Session, being held at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Wichita.

“What a fitting tribute to be able to hold this on Veterans Day Eve,” said National Grange Lecturer Chris Hamp, who oversees this program.

For the first time, non-Grangers were honored, including members of the local Augusta Memorial Post 6746 – Veterans of Foreign Wars and Augusta Leonard Whitehill American Legion Post 189, who presented the colors.

The youth of the National Grange assisted in escorting the veterans to the front of the room to receive their quilts.

Kimber Newman, daughter of National Young Patrons Molly and Vince Newman, assisted in giving the recipients thank you cards made by the fourth-grade class of her aunt, Mandy Bostwick, National Grange Youth Leadership Director.

Quilts of Valor are given to service members and veterans, to cover them with comfort and healing.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation was started in 2003 by Catherine Roberts when her son was deployed to Iraq.

Roberts had vivid and haunting dreams of veterans being physically encapsulated by the horrors brought on by what they had experienced in their time of deployment.

These dreams were what motivated Roberts start the Foundation.

The mission of the Quilts of Valor is to bring comfort and healing to those who have been touched by war.

Over 286,000 Quilts of Valor have been awarded since the start of the foundation in 2003.

The National Grange is an official Under Our Wings partner of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. This partnership enables the National Grange to honor veterans in a tangible way.

This partnership was formed by National Grange Lecturer/Program Director Christine Hamp in 2017, when the National Grange first presented quilts at their annual session in Spokane, Washington.

Hamp gave thanks to all of those who helped coordinate the event including Lisa Conner, the Kansas State Coordinator for the Quilts of Valor.

The anthems of each military branch were played by John Noonan, with veterans standing up when the music of their branch was played to be recognized by the crowd.

2021 Quilts Of Valor Recipients

• Harlan Bartel (Air Force) 1971-1975, Bayneville Grange #1810 (KS)
• Richard Tennissen (Air Force) 1968-1972, Bayneville #1810 (KS)
• Larry N. Shafer (Army) 1958-1963, Cherryvale Grange #221 (OK)
• Allen S. Thomsen (Army) 2000-Present, Thompson Grange #352 (OK)
• Don Durflinger (Navy) 1962-1992
• Sue Gregg (Navy) 1968-1971
• Mindy Heater (Army Reserve) 1991-1995
• Charles Heinrich (Army) 1965-2000
• Hump Hodge (Air Force) 1956-1960
• John Noonan (Navy) 1969-1973
• James Owsley (Army) 1964-1972
• Harold Roth (Air Force) 1975-1979
• Lisa Snyder (Marine Corps) 1986-1993