Anna's Blessing Quilts

We celebrated our 8 year anniversary of our Prayer Quilt Ministry on 9/9/15. The response has been tremendous from the community. We, here at Middletown Baptist Church, feel blessed to have helped so many people in their time of crisis. To date we have given 434 prayer quilts! There are many ladies and men who have given their time and talents to produce these beautiful quilts. 

How it began:
Previous Pastor Greg Williams and his wife, Lisa, were introduced to Prayer & Squares through a fellow Prayers and Squares member, Ramonda Wilson of Salem, Illinois. They were intrigued and decided this was definitely a project to introduce to our church. Several weeks went by without another thought of it. It was put on the back burner.

One Thursday evening Greg shared with Lisa that she needed to have a quilt done for Sunday. Of course her response was (as you would imagine) “I can’t get one done in 2 days! He agreed to help her and they tried to figured out what to do. Lisa prayed for direction since she was ‘winging it” and the Lord impressed upon her the need to just get it done. She now felt the same urgency her husband felt. They completed it late Saturday night. There were plenty of flaws but it was completed and ready to be presented. They had already decided it would be given to their dear friend Anna Hagemier. She had been the church treasurer ‘forever’ and was a beautiful caring soul. She had been struggling with painful kidney dialysis three times a week.

At the end of that Sunday morning service on 9/9, Greg explained the prayer quilt ministry and its significance in giving strength to Anna through prayer. The quilt was displayed on the altar. The congregation flooded to the altar to pray and tie a knot. There wasn’t a dry eye in the sanctuary. Many filed past Anna as she sat in the pew and offered their love and admiration for her. She was speechless. He then called Anna up, sat her in a chair at the altar, draped the quilt over her and prayed for God to heal her. The whole service was spirit filled and a true blessing for everyone. Anna expressed how she now looked forward to Tuesday’s dialysis since she had her prayers to cover her. She loved her lopsided imperfect quilt.

Sadly, Tuesday morning 9/11/07, at approximately 6am on the way to dialysis, Anna took her last breath covered with her prayer quilt. God does answer prayers. Although we had prayed for a physical healing, God provided the ultimate healing for Anna. She was buried with her prayer quilt clutched in her hands and draped over her.

The newspaper coverage of that Sunday morning celebration service honoring Anna ironically appeared in the local paper on the day she passed. They became painfully aware that Anna was the reason for the urgency God had placed on them to get busy with the quilt ministry.

A lesson learned was to listen when God speaks. He directs our paths.  Our quilt ministry Anna’s Blessing Quilts was named in honor of a saint that we were all blessed to know and love, Anna Bernice Querling (Hagemier).

Anna's family designated her Memorial Fund to go to the Quilt ministry which got us started with supplies. Since then the community has supplied us with donations of fabrics, thread, batting, yarn, etc. We have also received cash donations from the community to use as needed. We look forward to another year of reaching out to those in need. We have found the old saying to be true "the Blessing is in the Giving".

ABQ Quilters, Middletown, MO; Chapter 677

Anna Hagemier receiving the first Prayer Quilt.