Senior clubs across Saskatchewan, including Preeceville and Sturgis, are sharing memories in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary, said Maureen Johnson.
In October of 1993 the senior clubs across Saskatchewan were asked to participate in assembling the world's largest quilt in hopes of entering the Guinness Book of World Records.
A province-wide sewing bee of senior clubs from across 200 Saskatchewan communities participated in the project. People paid a dollar each to have their names on the giant quilt.
These quilts were sent to Nipawin, where they were stitched together to form one large quilt that covered the entire surface of the skating arena, a total of 1,250 square metres. This quilt was then unveiled and opened to public viewing during the Saskatchewan Seniors Association convention at Nipawin in June 1994.
Bus loads of interested people came to see this large quilt and to locate their contribution among the many quilts that had been assembled. Preeceville Club 60 had contributed two quilts to this project. Sturgis READ Club contributed one quilt.
Each quilt that was part of the project was officially stamped with the Guinness Book of World Records insignia.
Ann Roste of Preeceville was part of the creation of the first quilt that was made in Preeceville and it held a special memory for daughter-in-law Pat Roste. After it was disassembled, Roste purchased the quilt when it was sold in a fundraiser with the money raised from the quilt being allotted towards the Preeceville Hospital.
Recently Roste put the quilt up for sale and Maureen Johnson purchased the quilt. Johnson plans on donating the quilt to the Preeceville and District Heritage Museum to preserve the history of the quilts. The second quilt made by Preeceville members which was also part of the largest quilt remains on display at the Club 60.
The Sturgis quilt is on display at the Sturgis READ Club.
The quilt became the world's largest quilt and is placed in the 1995 Guinness Book of World Records. Harry Moore of Nipawin (formerly of Preeceville) was the president of the Saskatchewan Seniors Association at the time and he has said it had been a proud moment for him to witness Saskatchewan seniors achieve this coveted goal.
