A quilted labor of love for a wounded warrior

Some members of the Bedias community celebrated Memorial Day a little early Thursday, May 26, with the presentation of a “wounded warrior” quilt to Bedias postal employee, David McCreery, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004-2012. The former Staff Sergeant was wounded in Afghanistan Aug. 20, 2009, and received a medical discharge in 2012.

McCreery has worked at the Bedias post office for nine years and finally made the small rural community his home in 2016.

He said, “I try not to make a big deal out of my service. The nation calls and we go. I’m not the only veteran or service member in the community. We serve to serve, not for recognition but this is amazing and I can’t thank you all enough.”

The colorful, patriotic quilt was a labor of love for retiring City Secretary Sharon Allen. Allen moved to Bedias in 1993 and began quilting in the early 2000s, about the time she became Bedias’ first City Secretary, and is known in the local quilting community for her precise and beautiful handiwork.

Tearing up, Allen said, “I saw a picture of the quilt, and usually when I make a quilt I don’t always know who it’s for but I knew I wanted to make this quilt. I’ve been working on it for a long time and when I learned that David was a wounded warrior, I couldn’t think of a better place to put it. That’s from my heart.”