Nancy Edmonds Hanson

Red, white and blue quilts are comforting and honoring military veterans touched by war – from coast to coast and, thanks to volunteers in North Dakota and Minnesota, throughout the Red River Valley.
Christened Quilts of Valor, the recognition project has been thriving. “We have sewn and awarded 335 quilts since Red River Quilters joined the national project in 2018,” founding member Cindy Kvidera reports. Each quilt produced by her band of volunteers echoes the message the national movement shares: “Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in serving our nation.”
Cindy is one of 13 members of Red River Quilters, whose volunteers range from Colfax
to Fairmount in southeastern North Dakota and Kent to Perham in west central Minnesota. Other nearby groups include Atonement Cross Quilters in Fargo and Comfort for Courage, based in Perham. Units are scattered across North Dakota in Bismarck, Minot, St. John and Grafton. Northwestern Minnesota veterans receive comforters crafted by women in Lancaster, Minnesota; many other stitchers contribute to the program from elsewhere in the state.
Quilts for Valor traces its roots to Iowa, where founder Catherine Roberts had a dream – a literal dream – about how the individually crafted patchwork could change despair to hope and healing. Beginning in 2003, her foundation inspired 10,000 women in 600 groups across all 50 states to take on the mission of honoring active duty, National Guard and reservist members of the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force. Eligible nominees have served in wars, conflicts, peacekeeping missions and counter-terrorism operations from World War II, Korea and Vietnam through more recent actions from the Cold War through Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Nominations are made through Quilts of Valor Foundation’s website, then referred to quilters in the area where each recipient lives.
Cindy, who worked with the Breckenridge school system for 30 years, credits sister Lora Loff with helping to form the Red River group. “We meet every two months and get together as often as necessary to cut fabric kits and assemble supplies. Then we take them home to stitch them,” she says. The pieced quilt tops then go to three women who stitch the design across the quilt with longarm sewing machines; then they go back to the group to bind the edges.
Each layer has a distinct meaning. “The top represents all the pieces that have come together – the veterans and the people in their lives,” she explains. “The batting is for warmth and protection. The backing layer stands for strength, for holding us together.”
Not all of Red River Quilters do their part with sewing machines, needles and thread. When the group receives a nomination, whether from the QOVF or local contacts, they reach out to the veteran to gather all the information needed for their presentation.
“Many veterans don’t want to talk about their experiences in the service, even to their families,” Cindy reports. “But even though they may never have talked to their families, they often open up to us. There’s no pressure. What they share is entirely up to them.” She adds, “We hope that the whole family will get something from the process.”
The Red River Quilters’ presentations range from private ceremonies for the veteran recipient, family and friends, to more public awards in VFW or Legion clubs, churches and other public settings. One of the most memorable, Cindy notes, was beside the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter on display in Breckenridge’s Veterans Park. “Its actual pilot traveled from Oregon to Breckenridge to receive his quilt,” she says.
Each local group is responsible for raising funds to purchase the cotton fabric and supplies for their quilts, about $250 for each. Their efforts plies and ready-to-go quilts in space donated by St. Catherine’s Living Center of Wahpeton.
For information about joining or donating to Red River Quilters, contact leader Deb Mitskog, dmitskog@gmail.com. More information on Quilts for Valor, including a nomination form, can be found at QOVC. org.