Staff Writer
PATTEN — It’s been more than a year since Sandra Troutt began to share comfort with other families of soldiers lost in the Iraq war. For the last 15 months she has paid it forward by using her quilting talents to create Marine Comfort Quilts.
Submitted photo
75 AND COUNTING — This handmade “Comfort Quilt” is just one of the 75 quilts that have been completed by local quilter Sandra Troutt. Troutt has been making the quilts in memory of her grandson Spc. Dustin Harris.
Regardless of which military branch they served with, “Marine moms” were searching for a way to honor the fallen heroes by providing the mourning family with a piece of comfort from all over the country.
In September 2006, the Harris family in Patten received the same honor. Spc. Dustin Harris joined the military because of the September 11 events. He was killed in action while serving in Iraq. It was fitting that his mother, Lorna Harris, would receive a comfort quilt on that same day.
Since then, the Harris family has taken an active role in promoting and distributing these comfort quilts to the “Marine moms” for the military men and women who were lost in service for their country. To date, Sandra Troutt, Dustin’s grandmother, has managed to finish her 75th Comfort Quilt.
“I’ll continue to do this as long as I can do it,” explained Troutt. “I do it in memory of my grandson and all of the other fallen heroes.”
Troutt says she can’t take all the credit. She says her accomplishments have not come from her own hand, but from many caring individuals from throughout Aroostook County and the state.
“I’ve done about 980 squares myself and other people in the area have done more as well,
she explained. “The Millinocket Quilting Guild and the Benedicta Quilting Guild and some of the Guilds and Adult Ed in Lincoln have donated and the Golden Ridge Girls donated a few squares — I have collected about 1,400 squares from them.”
A comfort quilt is made of 12.5-inch x 12.5-inch blocks with messages written on each square. It takes one embroidered Branch of Service square, one “name” square and 28 squares from different sources to make one comfort quilt. Donations of materials are needed.
“Anybody that would like to donate material or money for shipping or do squares can send them to my address,” said Troutt. “I would like to have them write a message on the square and sign their name for the guy that was killed, his family. They have to write their name in the middle of the square.”
At Dustin’s home, a room was added to include memorabilia of the Patten soldier. Located over his parents’ garage, a full-length quilt hangs directly in the middle of a wall, which also displays two of his uniform jackets. The room, done in a military green color, has only one purpose — to remember and honor Dustin.
For more information on comfort quilts, visit the Web site at www.marinecomfortquilts.com, or contact Troutt at 365-4110, via e-mail at jtroutt@pivot.net or by mail at Sandra Troutt, P.O. Box 93, Sherman, Me., 04776.
