Remembering 9/11 and Quilts: a Pottawattamie County Story

I say this all the time, but:  we have the most AMAZING people living in Pottawattamie County! 

As we all take time to reflect on 9/11, I want to make you aware of some fabulous people who put their talents where their hearts are.  Susan Bentley, owner of SHECouture in Minden, and Marilyn Mickey, of Carson, use their love of quilting to give back.  Susan and Marilyn take part in a program called Quilts of Valor.

The twosome show their appreciation for those that have served, and those that are serving, by making patriotic quilts.  Humbly, they put their love for quilt-making to good use.  Along with a few of their friends, they take on the expense and time-consuming task of gifting hand-made quilts to those that deserve them most.  According to the Quilts of Valor website, “A Quilt of Valor is our award to those who have been touched by war. It says ‘thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor’ in serving our nation.”

Mickey and Bentley have been friends for a long time, doing many volunteer projects together, and then joined the Quilts of Valor Foundation as a way to put their passion for quilts into a lasting memory for a veteran.  Each quilt has a label/tag sewn in and is a one-of-a-kind.


And they've made 125 quilts to be given away! 
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As someone who lived in a military town, I realized people who serve don’t receive nearly the credit and love they deserve.  I remember the worries, the efforts, and the sacrifices of the people who served and their families who stood behind them. 

It’s 9/11, and although we have a country that continues to be divided politically, we still live in the greatest country in the world where people chose to serve our country and go to war for us, where people spend extra hours of their day making quilts for others they appreciate, and where we are allowed to say what we have to say. 

So God Bless the USA. 

#NeverForget #PottCounty #PottawattamieLoyal