Ever heard the old cliche, “What goes around comes around.” Well here’s proof. The proof can be viewed in the form of a quilt on display at the Royal Canadian Legion Br. #99 in Emo.
With this being the time of year when we remember and pay respect to all war veterans, this makes the quilt even more meaningful.
Made in 1952-53, the quilt bears the names of 14 Emo residents–R.D. King, Levi Pattison, C.E. Rees, V.J. Dent, G. McComb, W.J. McLeod, Norman Gibson, Ellwood McComb, J.E. King, John Cooper, J.L. Bovair, G. McComb, E.L. Morphet, and M.H. Honerell.
Before we get to where the quilt is today, let’s have a bit of a history lesson.
In August, 1984, a war veteran by the name of J.O. (Johnny) Johnson had passed away in January, 1984. That August, his sister-in-law, Mrs. Mitchie Young of Guelph, Ont., had come to settle the estate and dispose of the effects left in his house.
She decided a yard sale was in order so she diligently cleaned out every closet, corner, and drawer at this time. That’s when she found a quilt she had never seen before or heard of throughout the years.
As Young carefully examined the quilt, she noticed each block was the name and dog tag number of men and women who had served in the Canadian armed forces during both world wars.
On the centre square, which is nine times larger than the other squares, are the words British Empire Service League (now the Royal Canadian Legion). The official change in name took place possibly in the late 1940s or early 50s.
Following her find, Young telephoned Bill McKillip, whose name is on the quilt, asking him to come and see it. Upon viewing the quilt, he joined Young in bewilderment.
The quilt is all hand-sewn and the names, words, and numbers are embroidered by what appears to be more than one person. A typical block contains the numbers, names, and regiments (e.g., “3038019 J.O. Johnson 1st Depot Bttl. 1st Central, Ont. Rgt. Nakina”).
The border and centre square are arrayed with maple leafs, which at the time of the quilt’s creation were the Canadian emblem.
The names were not limited to men and women from Nakina but covered a large area of northwestern and southern Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Quebec, the U.S., and even one from Germany.
Some squares contained a name and number but no location.
Both Nakina and Emo had Red Cross hospitals during the Second World War, and several nurses from Emo were working in Nakina during these years.
Names from other areas include H.S. Rajala (Thunder Bay), Ray Matson (Longlac), L.F. Haines (Kenora), Gordon M. Bell and N.A. McQuaker (Stratton), Francis W. Brown and F.B. Caldwell (Winnipeg), Elinar M. Hefner (USA), W.J. St. John (Minneapolis), and Gen. A.J. Franklin (FCHA Bty.-Germany).
Those from Nakina included W.A. Grant (the first president of the local Legion and whose name it bears today), T.B. Scott, T. Cichelly, C.W. McKillip, V. Swanson, John Gunn, Elsie Wilson, R.B. Barry, Ronald Aubry, J.J. Marr, Donald Downey, George Mackie, Irja Mackie, T.H. McKillip, S. Burgess, J. Dahunuk, G.J. Moohead, T.E. Baillie, and Hank Archer.
Other names adorn the quilt but the mystery of its origin remained.
Young decided to write a letter to a newspaper. “I’m not sure which paper it was but the letter asked for any information about the origin of this quilt mystery,” she noted.
Lo and behold, Dorothy Bonot of Emo read and responded to Young’s letter (dated and sent on Aug. 28/84), which informed her that she (Bonot) would be able to fill her in some history about this quilt.
The quilt was made in 1952-53 by the Ladies Auxiliary (General Lipsett Branch) in Emo. Each block held a serviceman’s name–could be bought for about $1.
The blocks and maple leafs were made by the members. Bonot, herself, had worked many hours on the quilt but most of the other ladies already had passed away who would remember the quilting bees.
Bonot also informed Young she was correct about the Red Cross hospitals. Bonot, at that time, had been a nurse for 28 years and remembered the association with other outposts (Pat McMillian was one of the nurses from Nakina who also belonged to the Emo Auxiliary).
Bonot expressed what a “very pleasing” feeling she experienced when she opened the paper and saw the picture of the quilt, which she recognized immediately.
Ironically, she and her sister had just been reminiscing about old times–and all the hours put into fundraising. And both ladies had wondered if the gentlemen from Nakina who won the quilt had ever used it.
In 1984 when Bonot contacted Young, Ethel Cooper, the woman who had designed the quilt and the BESL drawing, was still living in a home for the aged and nearing 100 years old. Cooper had remained active until a few months earlier.
Bonot, herself, passed away earlier this year and certainly was missed at the Remembrance Day service last Thursday in Emo. Fortunately, residents of Rainy River District can see one of her legacies as the quilt is now on display at the Emo Legion.
As I said at the beginning, what goes around comes around. The quilt made by Emo Auxiliary members is right back where it started.
Be sure to stop and see it!