IRON MOUNTAIN — Jennifer Bartnikowski, along with her mother Debbie Bartnikowski and aunt Donnette Salczenko, recently used their skills to help brighten the day of community living center residents at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center by donating 40 quilts they made themselves.

Quilting is in the family blood, said Debbie Bartnikowski, of Iron Mountain.

“My grandmother was a quilter and when we were little we would play underneath her quilting frame,” Debbie Bartnikowski said. “Back then you just hand stitched or tied it up.”

Jennifer Bartnikowski, of Niagara, Wis., began quilting about 10 years ago, as an activity she could do with her mother. They would get together monthly to work on quilts, completing two or three a year.

Jennifer Bartnikowski grew up on Air Force bases, so veterans have always held a special place in her heart.

“I had tried to get into the service myself but that did not work out and so if I cannot serve my country, I can at least serve those who did,” Jennifer Bartnikowski said.

Bartnikowski often thought about long-term residents of the community living center, especially those who may not have families to visit them for Christmas.

“I said to my mom that we will warm their hearts and their bodies,” Jennifer Bartnikowski said.

The center’s residents have limited space for belongings, so hospital officials had to consent to the quilts.

When they got the green light, they found 40 quilts would be needed for everyone in the unit to receive one — and it was already September.

Quilting would consume the three women’s lives for the next 2 1/2 months.

Jennifer Bartnikowski has a busy life, working full-time as a customer service representative for the VA, bartending part-time and home schooling her daughter. She said she would often spend her 15-minute breaks cutting squares.

Debbie Bartnikowski would then sew the squares together and take them over to Salczenko’s house to be bound together on the quilting machine. All three had weekly work sessions.

The quilts measured 44-by-48-inches and most have a patriotic theme. From start to finish, each quilt took about four hours to make.

Jennifer Bartnikowski said they supplied all of the materials themselves; in fact, they had it laying around already.

“My aunt has a fixation with patriotic material and she had given me some of it early this year,” Jennifer Bartnikowski said. “I said to my mom, ‘What are we going to do with all of this?'”

Due to COVID restrictions at the CLC, they were not able to be on site when residents received their quilts Thursday, but Jennifer Bartnikowski said seeing photographs of happy veterans made all of the work worth it.

The center’s residents all received a gift bag that not only contained the quilt but also a stocking from the Wisconsin American Legion Auxiliary that has candy bars, cards and $5. Also the Veteran Service Organization purchased slippers for each veteran and each bag came with custom artwork done by a hospital volunteer.

“The gifts are really a collaboration of efforts that showcase a lot of respect, honor and appreciation for our veterans, thanks to all our donors,” said Katie Maxon, chief of public affairs/veteran experience and voluntary service.

Jennifer Bartnikowski said they have plans to make quilts again next year, adding with a laugh that they probably will try to get an earlier start than September.

Debbie Bartnikowski said they may make quilts with zippers and buttons so Alzheimer patients have something to do with their hands and they may work with other area nursing homes as well.