92-Year-Old Veteran Receives Quilt to Commemorate a Lifetime of Love

Story originally published by The Owasso Reporter.

An Owasso, Oklahoma, couple received a gift that represents more than a handmade creation, but commemorates a lifetime of love and service.

The Homestead of Owasso Quilt Guild started sewing large lap quilts to honor community veterans for their sacrifices last year. The fourth quilt made by the guild was recently given to Ralph and Joanna Raming, who have been married for 69 years. A custom-designed piece, it stars a ballroom dancing couple with keyboard and stained glass fabrics and pictures of the Raming's family.

What makes this design so special, however, is that Ralph and Joanna actually met at a dance studio.

"It means a lot to me to have us dancing because it's a love that we both had doing together," Joanna told The Owasso Reporter. "We also taught dancing to couples, and it's something that [they] knew us by."

The 92-year-old veteran, who served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, agreed with his wife, saying that is meant a lot to him.

Each quilt the guild sews is made from scraps of donated material and takes an average of two to three months to finish. All quilts are donated to veterans in the community to recognize their ultimate sacrifice.