Honoring Our Quilters

“All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen” ----- Exodus 35:25.

For so many generations, the skilled ladies of the Woodsfield church of Christ have labored and created beautiful quilts for our family here.  “For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, there I am among them.” ……. they gathered and fellowshipped for over 25 years making quilts for graduates, community members in need, nursing home residents, and even families in India. 

What an amazing act of love these women displayed.  Our most accurate account has a record of over 242 quilts fashioned for our graduates.  It would suffice to say that nearly every member here had a quilt made for them or for their children.  Like so many acts of kindness in the church, these ladies never boast or make a big display of their works……. they piled cushions higher, ignored their split rough nails, and endured the stiff necks with not a word of despair.

Many of our quilters have passed on and a few remain with us today.  But every single one of them will attest to “a quilter’s quilting friends are some of the dearest, most generous, and most supportive people she will ever know.” 

To the best of our knowledge, below is the list of the ladies that have served as quilters: Irene Christman, Inez Lanier, Vivian Hines, Lois Griffin, Blanche Baker, Theica Weddle, Rose Saffle, Wanda Zonker, Gladys Landefeld, Betty Mercer, Wilma Bott, Nada Beardmore, Doris Lude, Ruth Camden and most recently, Cathy Bunting, Mary Henthorn, Goldie Chaplin, Jean Antill and Eleanor Lallathin.

These ladies and their quilts are “knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God.”

A thank you does not seem to suffice for all the labors of love these ladies have crafted over the past years.  Just know that we love you and neither you nor your many quilts will be forgotten.  The quilts you bound together have bound the hearts of all of us here.  You will always be the most beautiful square that makes up the Woodsfield church of Christ quilt.   

The church's faithful quilters come in every Tuesday morning at 9a to stitch and make beautiful quilts for our Seniors in high school and burned out families in our community.  Their love and compassion to bring a cover of love to others is greatly appreciated by the family at Woodsfield.  If you would like to help and volunteer to learn or become a quilter for God, come to the Education Building on Tuesday at 9a and introduce yourself to a great team for God.  Also, thanks to those who piece the quilts.

As part of the Senior Sunday ceremony, the congregation presents each of Senior student with a handmade quilt with a design unique to their particular interests and hobbies.   These quilts are worked on all year long by several of our ladies who meet each Tuesday in the education building in a room set up just for them.   A tremendous amount of love and work goes into each one of these special quilts. The ladies have worked long and hard preparing quilts for the graduates. Their talents and compassion is truly admired and appreciated.