On August 17, Sue Reich asked for help locating four missing World War II Quilts. Sue found out that these quilts went missing between 12:30 and 3:30 AM on August 11 at the shipping company’s facility in Keasbey, New Jersey. The quilts were at the Asheville Quilt Show in Asheville, North Carolina on August 6-8 2010. Four trunks of quilts were shipped back to Sue in New Jersey. Three of the four trunks returned home safely. Sadly, the fourth trunk was delivered empty. There were four World War II quilts in that trunk, along with a Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt which Sue used as a table cover.

On August 18, Sue received a call from Brenda S. from the FedEx Customer Service Center in Memphis, TN. Sue wrote, “Brenda has the most heavenly voice I have ever heard. Brenda told me early on the Wednesday morning she received a call from someone in the quilt world who preferred to remain anonymous. This person told Brenda about the quilts and their importance, beseeching her to help find them. Brenda told me she was so moved that she made it her mission to find the quilts. Sometime in the afternoon, the quilts were delivered in an unmarked cardboard box to a FedEx facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. (FedEx’s lost and found items either go to Memphis or Salt Lake City.) The box arrived with no tracking number making it impossible to trace. Sharon at the Salt Lake facility didn’t even have them cataloged yet but she sent Brenda a picture, and Brenda called me to confirmed the identity of at least one of the quilts.”

On August 19, Sue was thrilled that the quilts were all safely returned! They had been overnighted to her from Salt Lake City, and they arrived at 11:30 AM. Sue writes, “Words cannot express my gratitude to the quilt world for helping to find these quilts. It took a Quilt APB to locate them but it worked. Congratulations to all of you and specifically to the very special person who interceded in my behalf. This experience has convinced me that I need to continue to share these quilts because of their historic importance.”

All of these quilts were made between 1941 and 1945, and they all have Sue’s name and address on hanging sleeves.

Night Shift Worker’s Quilt is an original quilt that is 68″ by 78.5″. The main colors are red, white, and blue. It is made of home dec fabrics and silks that read, “Quiet Please Night Shift Worker Sleeping, Thank You.” It is machine pieced and hand quilted.

Canadian Red Cross Quilt is a wholecloth quilt that is 63.5″ by 72″. It is made from four feed sacks sewn together. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. The main color is blue.

Navy Insignia Quilt is a 64″ by 88″ quilt made of Navy insignia patches. It is machine pieced and machine quilted.

Hazleton Fund Raising Quilt is 66″ by 84″. The main colors are white, white, and red. It is hand embroidered with hundreds of names. This quilt was made in 1942-1943.

If you there is anything you can do for the recovery if these quilts, please contact Sue at suereich@charter.net.