Busy at work are the Crafty Ladies Florence Rabeyshoff (left), Marilyn Nuttall, Marge Resetar, Barb Thrasher, Carol Zurawka and Dorothy Ceccarelli.
By MARGARET BLOHM
For the Times-Herald
DEARBORN – Every Wednesday morning, a group of women meet quietly at Beaumont Commons, Dearborn, to volunteer their time to cut, iron, sew and deliver handmade items of comfort for hospital patients who may never learn of their origins.
This current group of eight volunteers, who call themselves “Crafty Ladies,” includes original members of an active women’s guild – dating back almost 40 years. The guild made and sold items at Christmas sales and in the hospital gift shop at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, now known as Beaumont.
“Over the years, we raised thousands of dollars for the hospital,” said Twila Prato, who worked as a volunteer in the gift shop for 18 years.
Marilyn Nuttall shows two of the completed teddy bears that will be given to infants in the hospital.
Thirty years ago, soon after this senior living community opened in Dearborn, the women were offered a community room on campus to meet and store their materials.
“They’re here almost like clockwork every week,” said Delfina Mauricio, resident services manager. “They work for three hours and then we serve them lunch.”
Four of the volunteers are residents of Beaumont Commons while others come from the local community. The group boasts that resident Florence Rabeyshoff, who is the oldest at 100 years of age, can “outdo any of us.”
Although not obvious to an occasional onlooker, the women reveal that they have an assembly line to make the stuffed teddy bears for infants, as well as firm pillows used by patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass, valve repair or valve replacement. The pillows help to lessen the pain and make movement more manageable following surgery.
The teddy bears and pillows are made out of donated cotton material. The group relies heavily on local quilters to give them scraps. Because white cotton is needed to help make the firm pillows, they welcome donations of sheets that can be cut up. The hospital helps to purchase the polyfill which can be expensive and is needed for stuffing. Donations of quarter-inch ribbon used for trim and bows are also appreciated.
Marge Kish, a former hospital guild president, leads the “Crafty Ladies” group along with keeping records, ironing and cutting the material. Marilyn Nuttall cuts and sews at home while Marge Resetar stuffs pillows. Carol Zurawka and Dorothy Ceccarelli sew up the bottoms of the teddy bears and pillows after they are stuffed.
Barb Thrasher, who stays busy cutting material for others to stitch, remembers bringing her six-week-old grandchild to the weekly meeting years ago.
“My granddaughter Hailey grew up here, and by the time she was 5 or 6 years old, she wrote a story about this place,” said Thrasher. “She had lots of grandmas, and I think that’s why today she’s such a good labor and delivery room nurse.”
Asked what the group needs in addition to materials, they all replied in harmony “more cutters, sewers and someone with a sewing machine.” As a current team of eight, they have had as many as 14 people.
If interested in volunteering or donating materials, call Beaumont Commons at 313-253-9583 and leave a message. The “Crafty Ladies” will be in touch.