Ten StoneRidge Veterns Honored by Their Neighbors

Nine WWII veterans, along with one Cold War veteran, who reside at StoneRide Senior Living were honored for their military service today. Each person was presented with a quilt, created and sewn by one of their neighbors within the life plan community and gifted at a luncheon observance of Veterans Day.

The Patriots Quilt project was started by resident Rita Jolly, 86, when she moved to StoneRidge in 2018. “When I came here I realized that there were veterans that would benefit from having quilts made to recognize their service,” so she assembled a group of quilters she knew and then extended the invitation to others. In total, seven quilters, ages 78 to 90, participated this year.

“The quilters have chosen a pattern they like, we adapt them [the patterns] to make them red, white and blue and each quilter works on her choice of designs,” said Jolly. Once the 5’ x 6’ quilt has been completed, batting is added and the piece is bound on an electric sewing machine. “We have been fortunate to have ‘That’s Sew Debbie’ in Groton to offer their long-arm machines at no charge to us this year. That has been a big help,” added Jolly.

Each quilt is a piece of art, lovingly handmade and gratefully received. Pfc. John Cal Beggs was only 18 when he enlisted in the Army. He was a platoon runner for the second platoon of Company G, 407th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division and served in northern Germany. “On the first of December of 1944, I stepped in the way of a German shell fragment and that ended my infantry career.” Now, almost 76 years later, Beggs said he “feels gratitude” for the recognition from the quilters.

Ten veterans received the quilts. They are: QM 3C David Anderson, US Coast Guard, who served on Coast Guard cutters; Cpt. Charles Thompson Baker, US Army, who served in France and Germany; Pfc. John Cal Beggs, US Army, who was part of the Rohr River Campaign; Pfc. James Burbank, US Army, who was in the Battle of the Bulge; SPARS-Storekeeper FC Frances Edlund, US Coast Guard, who worked in the supply office in Hawaii; Cpt. Arne Johnson, US Navy, who served in the South Pacific; Seabee Frank Magennis, US Navy, who served in Guam; QM2C Forbes M. Meston, US Navy, who was part of the Leyte, Enewetak, Samar in Tokyo Bay surrender; Commander Henry Peyton, US Navy, who was part of the Mine Force Pacific Fleet, the USN underwater sound lab, POLARIS Project Office and Donald Wooley, US Navy, who served aboard the USS Okaloosa.

The StoneRidge Stone Quilters is one of 14 resident-founded social groups at StoneRidge, a Life Care Services (LCS®) Senior Living Community.

StoneRidge is a senior living, life plan community in Mystic, CT. StoneRidge, situated on 32 acres, is next to 100 acres of conservation land at the corner of Jerry Browne and Pequotsepos Roads. A few miles from historic downtown of Mystic, CT, StoneRidge is conveniently located close to Olde Mistick Village, the Mystic Aquarium, the Mystic Seaport, the Nature Center and the Mystic Museum of Art. StoneRidge is managed by Life Care Services (LCS®), the leader in developing and managing senior living communities nationwide.