Jenny’s Memory Lives on in Quilt Donation

Resthaven Fleurieu Community Services client, Mrs Wilma Whitbread, has donated ten beautiful hand-made quilts to the residents of Resthaven Port Elliot, made with her late friend, Jenny Yale.

Wilma says, ‘I met Jenny when we were both working as nurses at the Julia Farr Centre in Adelaide.’

‘We both returned to Victor Harbor to retire.’

‘Jenny was very community minded, and a mad quilter. She belonged to about eight quilting groups, and she was very good at it.’

‘Jenny was my quilting teacher.’

‘I owned a craft shop, and when I retired, I had a lot of leftover fabrics that needed putting to good use.’

‘I asked Jenny if she could use them for her quilting, and she said she would come over and we would make a couple of quilts together.’

‘Well, this turned into quilting together every Saturday night for 18 months; we would sit and sew and carry on!’

‘Each quilt has a square on the back with care instructions, a tribute to Jenny, and little embroidered bees – because we were such busy bees!’

Sadly, Jenny died in 2023, leaving behind a pile of quilts that Wilma was determined should go to good cause, carrying on Jenny’s legacy of giving to the community.

‘I’ve given them to any friend, sibling, or grandchildren who wanted one,’ Wilma says.

‘Whoever I thought might like one of these has been given one.’

‘However, I still have a few left, and I would like them to go to someone who appreciates them, in Jenny’s memory. She always gave a lot.’

The lovingly made quilts were hand-delivered by Wilma to Resthaven Port Elliot Manager Residential Services, Louise Banner, on 30 April, with the promise that they would be handed out to residents who did not receive a lot of visitors or who needed a little lift.

Meanwhile, whilst no longer quilting, Wilma continues to live independently in her own home with support from Resthaven Fleurieu Community Services.

‘I’m very happy with Resthaven’s services, but I’m not very social,’ she explains.

‘I do two sessions a week at Goolwa with the exercise physiologist, and physiotherapy.’

‘I also have cleaning and gardening services; I have a very big yard and I don’t want to leave it!’

Thank you to Wilma and Jenny for their gift to the Resthaven community.

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