By Mike Steely
Quilts of Valor were awarded to resident veterans of the Pointe at Lifespring Assisted Living on Saturday.
Each quilt was presented by Sandy Brock and Sheila Eason of the Quilts of Valor organization. Lifespring’s Rebecca Mills and Chelsea Irwin conducted the ceremony with an audience of residents, friends and families of the veterans present.
Honored were veterans Robert “Butch” Schnadelbach, US Navy; Donald Loy, US Navy; Joseph Knighton, US Air Force; and Alvin “A.C.” Wilson, US Army.
Joseph Kilsheimer, US Navy, was absent and a quilt will be awarded to him at a future time.
Nationwide, more than 450,000 handmade Quilts of Valor have been presented to military veterans.
The ceremony is made possible through the Quilts of Valor Foundation, a national nonprofit founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts after a powerful dream inspired her to comfort service members experiencing the emotional wounds of war. Her vision became a nationwide movement with a simple but profound mission: to cover veterans touched by war with handmade quilts as tangible expressions of healing, comfort, and appreciation.
As Roberts describes it, the message from that dream was simple: “Quilts = Healing.” Every Quilt of Valor is carefully handcrafted and awarded—not simply given—to communicate one powerful message:
“Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and valor in serving our nation.”
“Many of our residents have incredible stories of service that deserve to be recognized and remembered. We are honored to celebrate these five heroes alongside their families and our community.” Chelsea Irwin, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Pointe at Lifespring. “We are excited to hold more ceremonies in the future to honor more of our veterans.”
The veterans’ service records include:
Robert “Butch” Schnadelbach – U.S. Navy (1969–1971)
Served in Jacksonville, Florida; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Donald Loy – U.S. Navy (1960–1971)
Vietnam veteran who served with CVW-19 aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard and USS Saratoga. His service included assignments in Jacksonville, Florida; Lemoore, California; and Washington, D.C.
Joseph Kilsheimer – U.S. Navy (1945–1948)
Served throughout the Atlantic Ocean following World War II.
Joseph Knighton – U.S. Air Force (1961–1986)
Vietnam War veteran whose distinguished 25-year career included assignments across the United States. He received five Army Commendation Medals (ARCOM) and the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM).
Alvin “A.C.” Wilson – U.S. Army (1954–1956)
Served at Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal.
