9-11 Memorial Victims' Quilt shown in Pine River

9-11 Memorial Victims' Quilt shown in Pine River
By Kelly Virden
kelly.virden@pineriverjournal.com

Nearly 3,000 people are depicted on the Sept. 11 Memorial VictimsU Quilt. Behind each one is a family and a circle of friends mourning them.

A team of women created the memorial quilt, which was on display in Pine River June 3-4 during the Sixth District Legion Convention.

Remembering and paying tribute to victims killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is achieved in a visual feat: a 10-foot by 60-foot quilt, sewn in a labor of love.

On June 2, some of the quilt creators gathered in the Pine River-Elementary gymnasium to help hang the quilt and prepare for the public showing. Each had a special part in the quilt's journey.
Missing was Jeannie Ammermann, of Tennessee (formerly of Naples, Fla.) who came up with the idea of a quilt nearly four years ago. She located quilter Connie Daniel, of Wisconsin, via the internet and got her involved in the project.

Daniel, a former quilt business owner, specializes in hand-drawn designs and drew the depictions of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the airplane from the "Hero Flight," United 93, emergency vehicles, Lady Liberty and more.

Ammermann was in charge of contacting family members of the deceased, and securing their blessings to print photographs and names of those lost on Sept. 11.

Daniel contacted her sister-in-law, Jeanette Daniel of Stillwater, Minn., to help with the fundraising for the project. Jeanette and her husband, Dave, are long-time friends of Don Fowler of the Pine River American Legion - who helped bring the quilt to Pine River.

The quilting team also includes Jan Seidel of Wisconsin who machine-quilted the backing onto the 20-foot sections; Beverly Steele of Wisconsin, who machine embroidered lettering onto the quilt; and Valena Roller, of Rochester.

Through networking, the team has incorporated people in 26 states who've helped cut out pieces to be sewn to the quilt.

So far around 2,850 photos have been gathered for the quilt. Ammermann takes care of transferring the photographs onto fabric for the quilt. Fabric candles with "Sept. 11, 2001" printed on them represent the missing photos. Little angel prints fill the circles representing unborn babies that died as a result of the attacks.

Working on the quilt has been an emotional experience for the quilters. "There are many tears in here; it's too big to launder, so they'll be there forever," said Connie. Seidel said that working on the quilt was such an emotional thing that she had to take breaks from it now and then. "There were some days I could not quilt," she recalls.

"These people are close to use; they're part of our family and they are all so beautiful," said Jeannette.

On Sept. 9 the women quilters will be in New York to present the quilt to the families gathered at the 9-11 Memorial Center.

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation will consider the quilt for permanent display in the Memorial Center. "It's one way of telling people we haven't forgotten them," Jeannette said.