Military-survivor families sew memories into quilt's 71 blocks made by
Hats Off: Salute to Veterans continues this week at the Ozark County Historium in Gainesville, where another special attraction has been added to the exhibit. Surrounded by Ozark Countians' photos, stories and memorabilia of World War I and II stands the 2010 Missouri Survivors' Memory Quilt, a tribute to deceased military men and women with a link to Missouri. "Each block is hand-pieced with love," said project organizer Jody Carmack, who brought the project to Gainesville from Fort Leonard Monday morning.
Each block is embroidered with a name, and each one has a story, Carmack said. The blocks were made by surviving family members; the service members honored range from military retirees to young warriors who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. One died in the Fort Hood shooting, Carmack says, pointing to a female soldier's block.
There are 71 blocks, including one that is blank, representing "everyone who didn't get a block," Carmack said. The bottom of the quilt is unfinished, she said, "because the lives represented here are unfinished."
One block is made from pieces cut from a soldier's corduroy slacks. Another is sewn together with family photos hidden away in between the sandwiched fabrics. One is hand embroidered with flags. Yet another one is made from pieces of the duffle bag the soldier carried in basic training. And on the stories go.
WWII round-table
discussion
The Missouri Survivors' Memory Quilt and the World Wars I and II exhibit continues at the Historium through 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11.
And on that day, the Veterans Day holiday, another special event is planned. World War II veterans are invited to come to the Historium at noon for a "round-table discussion," a sharing of memories and telling of stories and a time of answering questions from community members who are invited to come sit in on the conversation. Veteran Wayne Wayles will moderate the event, and everyone is invited to come and share, or come and listen.
Pick up items Nov. 14
Residents who have loaned items to the Historium for the exhibit are asked to please pick up those items on Monday, Nov. 14, or as soon after that date as possible, said Susan Ault, who organized the exhibit with Janet Taber. During upcoming weeks the Historium will revert to normal operating hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact Susan (679-4253; papajohn@ozbb.net) or Janet (265-3372; janettaber@gmail.com) to arrange after-hours pickup.
The WWI and WWI stories and photographs (copies of the senders' originals) now shared on display boards will be tucked into scrapbooks to save for viewing by Historium visitors, they said.
<p>Sandra Stone, left, and Helen Zapata admire the 2010 Missouri
Survivors’ Memory Quilt now on display within the Hats Off: Salute
to Veterans exhibit of Ozark Countians’ World War I and II photos,
stories and memorabilia at the Historium on the square in
Gainesville.</p>
