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Kootenai Valley Quilt Guild honors local veteran

by The Western News
| July 19, 2022 7:00 AM

On July 9, surrounded by friends and family, Virgil Byron Rockstad celebrated his 100th birthday in the community room at the VFW.

Rockstad is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and served at Pearl Harbor during World War II. His ship was LST71, a landing ship, transporting Marine tanks and Marines to the battle front. 

Rockstad was the Captain of the only 3-inch gun on the ship and was classified as a ship fitter.  

Members of the Kootenai Valley Quilt Guild had the honor of presenting Mr. Rockstad with a Quilt of Valor, to thank him for his service to our country.   

The quilt top was sewn by Mary Lou Goodpaster, quilted by Velda Williams and presented by Marge Kroeger and Linda Crum.  

The Quilts of Valor Foundation began in 2003 with a dream of providing comfort and healing to service members and veterans through quilts. Since 2003, over 300,000 quilts have been awarded.

The Kootenai Valley Quilt Guild has partnered with the Libby VFW to provide quilts to local veterans. We are proud to be a part of recognizing the commitment and sacrifice of our veterans.

The Guild has been a part of our community for over 30 years. Our members include women from all backgrounds and a variety of quilting interests.

We have awarded over 25 quilts to local veterans and will award over 40 more in a ceremony on Veterans’ Day, Nov. 11, 2020.