Wednesday, February 5, 2025
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Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties
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Vol. 54, No. 33
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
SKILLFUL QUILTERS — In the front row from left are some of the members of the Lakeland Quilt Club, who are Beth Huber, Linda Greene, Audrey Scharpenberg and Sandy Seyler. In the back row are Linda Felger, Kim Hine, Sharman Neel, Laura Greig, Lana Dowell, Vicki Ober and Beckie Hansen. Photos provided by Lana Dowell.
Lakeland Quilt Club
HONORS VETERANS, serves the community By PHOEBE MUTHART Staff Writer Since its inception, the Lakeland Quilt Club has honored veterans and served the community. The group makes quilts for veterans in Kosciusko County and also serves the community in other ways. The group was founded in the 1960s or early 1970s, according to President Lana Dowell. It currently has 19 members, all of whom are volunteers. Not only do the women meet to work on projects or their own work, they also give back to the public in the several ways. The club’s primary project is making handmade quilts for veterans. It works with the American Legion in North Webster. The Le-
gion Auxiliary picks the veterans and then gives the Lakeland Quilt Club the veterans’ names and service information. Every year since 2018, the Lakeland Quilt Club members having been making the quilts for veterans. The first year, it made eight quilts. In 2023, the women made 16 quilts and in 2024, club members made 13 quilts. “We don’t personally know the veterans,” said Dowell. Out of the 19 members, the club had 100% participation, she said. “It’s a labor of love,” Dowell commented. “It means a lot to us, and we put in a lot of effort.” By working with the American Legion Post in North Webster, Dowell said “we really work hand in hand.” Each year, the quilts are given to the veterans at a ceremony, usually on Veterans Day at the Legion. “We buy our own supplies and fabric,” she said. “Each volunteer pays out of their own pockets.” Dowell added, “We have long-arm quilters.” The auxiliary gives the club a donation every year. Dowell said she
keeps that money separate so it can be funneled back into the quilts for veterans. The club gives back to the Kosciusko County community in other ways, too. It makes smaller-size quilts to give to the Cancer Care Center in Warsaw for its patients. Every year, at Christmas time, the club makes hats, gloves, and socks for North Webster Elementary School students who need them. They give some to the school nurse and the school’s clothing closet for children in need. The club also make items for Winona Lake Grace Brethren’s foster care closet, a room full of free supplies for foster families. “We donate quilts to them,” said Dowell. “If we can fulfill a need, we like to do that.” It also donates handmade items to several different nursing homes, such as The Meadows Care Center in Warsaw. Dowell said the group is looking for organizations in which they can make quilts or any other items. Continued on page 2
LABOR OF LOVE — Vicki Ober is shown with one of the quilts presented to a military veteran. Club President Lana Dowell said the quilts are truly “a labor of love.”
SEW INTENT — Laura Greig, a Lakeland Quilt Club member, works intently on her sewing machine.