Mom makes quilts to remember lost son
By Loretta Sorensen Journal correspondent | Posted: Friday, September 07, 2007
LE MARS -- The threads holding Trudy Klaver's quilt together are attached to more than just the T-shirts her son James wore before his death in July 2003.
LE MARS -- The threads holding Trudy Klaver's quilt together are attached to more than just the T-shirts her son James wore before his death in July 2003.
The act of making the quilt -- an instrument of comfort in itself -- tugged at Trudy's heart and the hearts of her husband, Ken, and three children as square-by-square it took shape.
Making a quilt for each member of James' family out of his T-shirts has been one of many efforts all the family members have made to keep the memory of their vibrant, joy-filled child and sibling alive.
"He had so many T-shirts and they all represented something about him," Trudy says. "He was such an energetic, enthusiastic and active guy. He was involved in the community and many things at Dordt College where he was graduated just shortly before his death. This is one way that we can remember him and all the things he did in the short time that he was with us."
James was a freshman at Dordt when he became gravely ill. His first visits to the doctor didn't reveal anything definite, but it wasn't long before the Klavers were informed that James had myelogenous leukemia. He won the initial battle with the disease and resumed his life and his studies for about three years before the disease returned.
"One of his shirts said 'Rebuilt in Rochester.' That's where he took his treatments," Trudy says. "All through his illness he never gave up hope. He was so sick before graduation, but he told the doctors he would do 'whatever it takes' to be able to go to graduation. That was another one of his shirts, 'whatever it takes.'"
Among the colorful quilt squares is a shirt from Germany that James purchased on his trip to Dusseldorf as an exchange student. A Charlie Brown square represents the play that James took part in. Still another illustrates the name of the band that he and his brother joined when he was feeling well.
Even in his last days, James' thoughts were often focused on what he could do for others. Just days before his death, his mother followed his instructions to send a bouquet of balloons to another child from the Le Mars community who was hospitalized in Rochester with leukemia.
After his death, his parents established the James Albert's Hope Bear. They routinely send teddy bears to bereaved parents in a gesture of support.
"One of the devotionals I read recently said 'From this time go forth and comfort others, then you will have sweet fellowship with me.' Making the quilts out of Jamie's T-shirts has helped all of us. It's a piece of him that we can hang onto," Trudy says.
"Since James' death, we've all found out that, when we reach out, we receive what we need, too. James taught us so much while he was alive. We're all different now that he's gone, but it's an OK kind of different."
LE MARS -- The threads holding Trudy Klaver's quilt together are attached to more than just the T-shirts her son James wore before his death in July 2003.
The act of making the quilt -- an instrument of comfort in itself -- tugged at Trudy's heart and the hearts of her husband, Ken, and three children as square-by-square it took shape.
Making a quilt for each member of James' family out of his T-shirts has been one of many efforts all the family members have made to keep the memory of their vibrant, joy-filled child and sibling alive.
"He had so many T-shirts and they all represented something about him," Trudy says. "He was such an energetic, enthusiastic and active guy. He was involved in the community and many things at Dordt College where he was graduated just shortly before his death. This is one way that we can remember him and all the things he did in the short time that he was with us."
James was a freshman at Dordt when he became gravely ill. His first visits to the doctor didn't reveal anything definite, but it wasn't long before the Klavers were informed that James had myelogenous leukemia. He won the initial battle with the disease and resumed his life and his studies for about three years before the disease returned.
"One of his shirts said 'Rebuilt in Rochester.' That's where he took his treatments," Trudy says. "All through his illness he never gave up hope. He was so sick before graduation, but he told the doctors he would do 'whatever it takes' to be able to go to graduation. That was another one of his shirts, 'whatever it takes.'"
Among the colorful quilt squares is a shirt from Germany that James purchased on his trip to Dusseldorf as an exchange student. A Charlie Brown square represents the play that James took part in. Still another illustrates the name of the band that he and his brother joined when he was feeling well.
Even in his last days, James' thoughts were often focused on what he could do for others. Just days before his death, his mother followed his instructions to send a bouquet of balloons to another child from the Le Mars community who was hospitalized in Rochester with leukemia.
After his death, his parents established the James Albert's Hope Bear. They routinely send teddy bears to bereaved parents in a gesture of support.
"One of the devotionals I read recently said 'From this time go forth and comfort others, then you will have sweet fellowship with me.' Making the quilts out of Jamie's T-shirts has helped all of us. It's a piece of him that we can hang onto," Trudy says.
"Since James' death, we've all found out that, when we reach out, we receive what we need, too. James taught us so much while he was alive. We're all different now that he's gone, but it's an OK kind of different."
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Tracey Kast wrote on Mar 20, 2008 3:23 PM: