LISBON, Ohio – With stitches of love, quilters have used their talents to create patriotic quilts to honor local veterans and first responders for 15 years.
“We display the quilts from the ceiling the week of the [Columbiana County] Fair,” said Sharen Cope, organizer of the annual Veterans Program. “And it is an awesome sight. It really is. It takes your breath away when you walk in the door to see them, and there are very few that are duplicates. Most of them are one of a kind.”
The effort began with a one-time Purple Heart Ceremony in 2010, honoring Columbiana County veterans who received the Purple Heart with a public ceremony at the county fair grandstands and handmade quilts.
Cope said a Vietnam veteran, Butch Hardy, told her that being honored at the ceremony was “one of the most moving events” of his life, and he would never forget it.
After the ceremony, Cope said longtime fairgrounds grandstand announcer Don Humphrey encouraged her to continue the effort.
“He said to me, ‘Sharen, I think we’ve only scratched the surface. This is bigger than you and me,’” Cope said, adding that honoring veterans with quilts became an annual event.
At the urging of the VFW in Salem, Cope said the honorees were expanded to first responders during a 9/11 anniversary.
“As we’ve learned recently from some of the highway troopers who have lost their lives, there’s times when those first responders put their life on the line for us, whether it’s fire, EMTs or police,” Cope said.
Each year after the Columbiana County Fair ends in August, nominated veterans and first responders are invited to the fairgrounds for the quilt presentation ceremony. This year’s event will take place Sept. 13. At a luncheon catered by Mission BBQ in Youngstown and with the support of local military organizations, the quilts are distributed one by one in the fairgrounds Arts and Crafts Building.
The event has twice coincided with visits by The Moving Wall, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that tours the country. Cope said during the last visit of the wall, a quilt and handmade quilt rack were presented to John Devitt, the founder of the wall.
Cope said two of her graduating classmates’ names are on the wall.
“The last time I saw them was the day we graduated from high school. … I know there are a lot of people out there who are the same as me, who lost friends, possibly relatives, possibly siblings, parents,” Cope said. “And they were just treated horribly when they came back.”
Cope said as of last year, more than 450 quilts have been presented. They could reach 500 this year, as she already has 42 nominations. The goal is always to ensure every nominee receives a quilt.
Cope, who makes several quilts herself, said the effort could not be possible without dedicated quilters, like the group Keep You in Stitches, which meets regularly to quilt at the local Methodist Church. Other longtime contributors include Barbara Unger, Mida Delaney and Sandra Campbell.
With the closure of JoAnn Fabrics, which carried a plethora of patriotic quilting material, finding quality material has become more difficult. Cope credits small businesses, such as Sew Quilty in Salem, with making a special effort to carry patriotic-themed material.
Sew Quilty
Tara Nguyen, owner of Sew Quilty, served 20 years in the Air Force, first working with nuclear missiles before transitioning to the medical field, where she said patients often received handmade blankets as part of care packages.
“It just makes such a difference,” Nguyen said. “It’s like a little piece of home, even though you don’t have any idea who made it.”
She later served as a director at a Veterans Affairs facility, where she saw firsthand how meaningful special events were to veterans, especially those who served in Vietnam.
“They were never thanked for their service,” Nguyen said. “It was a whole different era then. So when they would come to the VA and we did stuff … they would just cry because it’s overwhelming.”
Nguyen recently relocated her shop after her lease on State Street expired. She moved to 148 Penn Ave., where customers benefit from quieter on-street parking and a nearby public parking lot.
“It allows me to accommodate more fabric, and it feels more like a quilt shop because this feels homier,” Nguyen said, as she worked on a quilt next to the bright light of the front window.
The new store also includes a seating area and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.
Besides the fair quilts, Nguyen said she also works with another veterans organization that also makes small quilts to give out on Veteran’s Day. Using a longarm machine, Nguyen is able to add patterned stitching to the top of the quilts.
Julie’s Patriot Tree
Inspired by Julie Morris, who worked many years at the county fair, Julie’s Patriot Tree is yet another way to honor local military heroes.
After seeing a tree decorated with patriotic ornaments online several years ago, Morris suggested the idea to Cope for the upcoming fair. Morris died unexpectedly while preparing for the 2019 fair, before she had the chance to see the finished tree.
Crafters make ornaments and place them on the Patriot Tree during the fair. Cope said one active 4-H club participates each year, and then the members come to the ceremony in September to hand out the ornaments with the quilts.
The ornaments that remain are gifted to VFW Post #892 in Salem for distribution.
On the back wall of the Arts and Crafts Building, Cope said crafters often make patriotic items for display at the fair. Cope said one year she completed a 1,000 piece puzzle of three Marines and presented it to a Vietnam veteran.
Another puzzle went to a 100-year-old veteran, who had offered to buy it. Cope said she gave it to him.
“I just feel we need to recognize them for what they gave our country, whether it’s current or past,” Cope said of the efforts.
So many of the recipients and their stories have touched Cope through the years. She remembers giving one quilt to a woman who served in the military as a cook, and through tears the woman questioned whether she deserved the honor. Cope said she assured the woman that reliably feeding the troops helped their efforts.
Since 2027 will be Cope’s final year on the fair board, she said another director will need to carry on the effort. This year’s fair will be the 16th year for the Veterans Program.
“I’ve been touched over the years by so many different comments,” Cope said. “It’s a program that I’m extremely proud of, and I hope it continues for a long time to come.”
Pictured at top: Tara Nguyen, owner of Sew Quilty.