Silver Sage Grange Quilts of Valor May 13, Steve Williams Recipient
May 13 found Winnemucca’s Silver Sage Grange hosting the Comstock Lode Quilters, Daughters of the American Revolution, and thirty-two Quilts of Valor awardees at the American Legion Hall for a presentation ceremony and dessert.
Over seventy-five people attended the event with standing room only.
In 2003, Catherine Roberts created the Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Born from a dream of a young, despondent veteran, she saw this man wrapped in a quilt that changed his demeanor to one of hope and wellbeing.
The dream’s message was clear: Quilts = Healing. She set about creating the Quilts of Valor Foundation where volunteers would gather to donate their time and materials to make quilts unique to each individual recipient.
The quilts would be handmade, which means either hand or machine quilted, not tied. These quilts are not “charity” handouts.
Each one is “awarded” and contains the inscription Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in serving our nation.
Members of the Silver Sage Grange and members of the American Legion Vernon Robins Post No. 5 nominated local veterans as awardees.
The ladies of the Comstock Lode Quilters contacted the nominees to gather service information from each one who was willing to accept the gift of appreciation.
In addition to the thirty-two veterans who received quilts on May 13, eleven veterans who were unable to attend the ceremony will receive their quilts at a future date.
Carl Clinger, National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry’s Nevada Deputy, made introductions at the beginning of the ceremony, including leading the Pledge of Allegiance, and gave a brief history of the National Grange. Marsha Strand of the Comstock Lode Quilters introduced the quilters that had come with her from Dayton and members of the Daughters of the American Revolution who were there to help present the quilts.
One of the ladies explained the history and purpose of the Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Those veterans who served during the Vietnam War were also awarded a special pin from the President of the United States. Widows of Vietnam veterans were also given a pin in their veteran’s honor.
Each individual presentation was both personal and special. Based on the smiles and excitement in the room, each veteran appeared to be pleased and thankful to be honored in such a way.
Following is a list of awardees:
Vernon Anderson, Craig “Skip” Becker, Clifton Brown, Sean Brown, Anthony Burch, Tina Burke, John Burrows, Roy Robert Cassens, Connor Cogsdill, Michael Cogsdill, Robert Conger, Skip Hammargren, Mackey Hedges, Phil Jacka, John Katzenmeyer, Jeremy Kenison, Russell Kenison, Leland Miller, Rich Moll, Elizabeth Mondt, James Mondt, Ernest L. Reese, Ronald W. Riggan, Gary Robbins, Tincia Seginski, David Smith, John “Jack” Southwick, Tony Thompson, Fred Tolbert, John Whala, Kevin Wiggin, and Steve Williams.
Veterans to be awarded quilts at a future date are:
A.L. Brinkoetter, Sean Burke, Domenick DeGrazia, Chuck Evans, Leon Franklin, Buck Growcock, Melvin B. “Buddy” Howard, Josh Nicholson, Richard E. Rollison, Thomas Eric Silva, and Lewis Trout.
The National Grange of the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (the Grange) is one of the oldest organizations in America. Its focus is on family, community, agriculture, and beyond.
The Mission of the Grange is to provide opportunities for individuals and families of all ages to develop to their highest potential in order to build stronger communities and states, as well as a stronger nation. It does this through Fellowship, Service and Legislation in chapters throughout the United States.
Fellowship. The Grange offers its members the opportunity to meet with and get to know their neighbors in a safe, family-friendly atmosphere. It provides a place where children, youth, and adults can grow, develop their talents and social skills, and learn leadership techniques.
Service. The Grange family provides its members with the opportunity to discover and solve community needs, give assistance to individuals in crisis, and network on a continual basis.
Legislation. The Grange supports a grassroots approach to state and federal legislative change by giving its members a voice in state and federal government forums.
Silver Sage Grange meets the first Monday of every month at 6:00 PM at the Grass Valley Community Center, 13295 Grass Valley Rd., Winnemucca. Contact the Silver Sage Grange at silversagegrange@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like more information about this chapter.