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This Family Honored Their Grandmother With Over 100 of Her Handmade Quilts at Her Funeral
When 84-year-old Janet White passed away, her family knew the perfect way to honor her.
During her lifetime, White developed a passion for quilting. She made over 100 different quilts for many family members and friends. Many of the quilts celebrated big milestones, such as weddings and new babies.
When White passed away, her family took a bunch of the quilts she made and decorated the churches’ pews with them as a way to honor her life.
White’s granddaughter, Rachel, uploaded a picture of the touching memorial to Reddit — and the photo quickly went viral.
“My grandmother’s handmade quilts draped over the pews at her funeral,” she wrote on Reddit. “She made over 100 for every special occasion. Before she passed, she made four more, one for each of her unmarried grandchildren to be given to us on our wedding days.”
White had six children and 13 grandchildren, giving her several excuses to keep making quilts.
“She did it because she loved us,” Rachael told BuzzFeed News. “She loved us and wanted to honor and congratulate us on major life milestones. The quilts were given for weddings, for graduations, and for new babies. Each grandkid also got to choose their own special pattern as a child and receive one on a special Christmas.”
Many users on Reddit were quick to comment on how sweet the gesture was. Other user also shared personal stories about their grandparents.
“Very nice gesture and farewell. I hope y’all use and enjoy those,” one user wrote. “My great grandmother was also a quilter. One of my most prized/sentimental possessions is a quilt she gave me, the last one she made for all I know. Every time I use it makes me a little sad, but also weirdly happy that I have something to remember her by and to keep me warm when I need it.”
“My grandmother passed away in December also at the age 84,” another user shared. “She was also an avid traveler and cross stitched instead of making quilts. I bet our grandmas are hanging out in heaven with each other swapping stories and having a grand old time… My thoughts are with you and your family.”
Along with the photo, the granddaughter of Janet White shared some touching stories about her grandmother on the Reddit thread.
“She was born on a farm in upstate New York in 1932,” she wrote on Reddit. “Despite her father’s strong disapproval, she traveled the world for years with my grandfather. They even passed through the iron curtain to visit the USSR in the 1960s.”
Janet White was also valedictorian of her school and worked on a dairy farm for 35 years.
“She knitted over 100 unique quilts, one for every life event (graduations, weddings). Her quilts adorn our couches, beds, walls, and are a constant reminder of how much she loved us,” Rachel wrote on Reddit. “She is my role model and I love and miss her dearly.”