By Cathy Blankenau Bender
Editor, Southern Nebraska Register
As the date nears for the annual “Duck and Ham Dinner” at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Abie, a group of women has been hard at work on a project for the raffle: the annual Altar Society quilt.
The idea for starting a quilting group at the parish began in 1984, after a group of parishioners went to a Day of Recollection at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly. Two years later, in 1986, several women began the project of hand-quilting a quilt.
With the invention of the quilting machine, hand-quilting has become a lost art, according to member Dorothy Vavrina. And it is a detailed undertaking.
For a queen-sized quilt, 20 fabric squares are embroidered by the quilters. The squares must be prepared precisely, to fit together in the final product. Then fabric is purchased to sew strips between the squares, and for the backing, as well as the batting – the insulation between quilt layers. The members embroider the squares to match the fabric, and then the project is ready to put on a frame to be assembled into the final product.
Two experienced quilters from David City came to teach the Abie quilters how to put the quilt on the frame, and how to make small stitches when quilting. They were Olga Shorney Lehr – a previous member of Ss. Peter and Paul – and Marcie Sabata. The wooden frame was made by Vern Arps, and donated to the group by Helen Arps Fencl.
Seventeen women were members of that first group of quilters, and three are still living today: Marie Roh, Margaret Humlicek and Dorothy Juranek. The women recall that the members were so pleased with their first quilt that they decided to make one every year and raffle it off at the “Duck and Ham Dinner” that is held at the parish the first Sunday of October every year.
The proceeds from the raffle go to the Altar Society, to be used for various church projects. To date, the income from the raffle has brought in more than $30,000.
“The first couple of years, the frame was set up in the north kitchen in the church basement,” Vavrina said. Since it was quite cold in that room, they moved to the dining area in 1988, where they continue to quilt to this day. She said the women begin a quilt in January, meeting once a week, and continue until it is finished.
“I enjoy the company of the other ladies and also just doing the needle work and seeing our finished product,” she said.
So far, the finished products tally 37 queen-size quilts and 16 baby quilts for the raffles. A few additional quilts have been made for various projects. Many of the squares were donated; some were already embroidered. Margaret Humlicek embroidered many of the squares herself. In 2013, the ladies entered the quilt in the Butler County fair, and they won a blue ribbon.
“Over the years, the group has trained many ladies in the skill of quilting by hand,” Vavrina said. She herself learned the art with the group in 1989, and said the members will train anyone who wants to learn.
Currently, there are eight women in the group. They are Henrietta Benesch, Margaret Humlicek, Dorothy Juranek, Linda Juranek, Nancy Lanc, Bernie Prochaska, Dorothy Vavrina and Sue Vidlak.
“We hope to continue making quilts as long as there are ladies willing to do the work,” Vavrina said.
Visitors are welcome at the “Duck and Ham Dinner” Sunday, Oct. 1. The meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It features duck and ham, as well as sauerkraut, dumplings, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, pies, kolache, rolls and drink. Dine-in is available, as well as carry-out and a drive-thru. Each meal is $20 per person, or $10 for children under 12 dining in.
In addition to the quilt raffle, there will be a country store, silent auction, and a live auction will be held at 4 p.m.
