Muriel Cochran gets a hug from Trish Johnson at SunBridge of Alleghany after donating quilts for lap robes to the facility.

Sparta woman, 92, volunteers making quilts

At the age of 92, Alleghany resident Muriel Cochran may stand less than five feet tall, but to the people for whom she makes quilts, the amount of heart she puts into each of her quilts far exceeds her small stature. Recently, she made a donation of 'lap robes' to SunBridge of Alleghany.

A native of North Carolina, she remembers learning about making quilts at a young age.

"When I was about six or seven years old, my daddy was sick and his sister come out and stayed a couple of weeks," Cochran remembers. "She said to my mother, 'Don't you have no scraps? I'm going to teach her how to sew.'"

Cochran quickly picked up the skill, and through the years occasionally put the skill to use.

"I'd just piddle at it when I wanted something to do," she stated. Cochran said she began making quilts on a regular basis in 1985.

"I'll tell you where it started," Cochran offered, explaining that her husband's sister lived in New Mexico and following a fall, was placed in a nursing home in the area in which she had no family. She commented she went to see her sister-in-law and when she arrived, Cochran found her covered with a piece of material Cochran described as "just as ragged as it can be thrown over her legs." Upon her return home, Cochran began work on two quilts for her sister-in-law.

Shortly thereafter, Cochran was visiting a mall and saw that some senior citizens had their crafts on sale. It was from seeing the handmade gifts that Cochran got the idea to work on making quilts for others.

"I have donated them to nursing homes, children's hospitals and anybody that I know that really wants one or needs one...they've gone to different places."

Cochran commented although she was unsure exactly how many quilts she has made through the years, she knows her largest single donation of quilts, 120, was sent to Shriners in Texas on the request of a niece's husband, and the furthest her quilts have gone is Germany. Explaining how one of her quilts made it to Germany, Cochran said, "A German girl married a friend of mine...I made their little girl one." Cochran remembers a time that she grew discouraged about her efforts. She said supporting words came from her adopted daughter's husband. She remembers him saying, "Listen. If you just made one person happy, think it's worth it all." Smiling as she recalled his words, she explained, "It takes a lot of work."

Over the course of 22 years, her quilts have been to 17 states as well as Europe.

As SunBridge's Activity Director Trish Johnson accepted Cochran's newest donation of quilts, she spoke of quilts she donated to the facility in December.

"They've come in very, very handy because as you know, we have a lot of people here who don't have families," Johnson said. "We depend on people like you and throughout the community to donate items which is very, very useful in areas such as this."

Of her many years of time and effort put into the creation of countless quilts, Cochran stated, "Here a few weeks ago, I sent stuff out and thought, 'Well, I'm getting rid of some of it.' I came in one night and there stood a box full on my porch. My daughter said, 'Mom, you better look at this and see what it is.' I thought somebody left some tools there and was going to work on something. I opened it up and it was a box of materials."

Cochran continued, "My friend who lives there close said, 'I say they back a truck up here overnight while you're asleep.' You would never believe what's been give to me."

Presentation of Quilts

Just before Cochran handed Johnson the new donation handmade quilts, Johnson smiled and told her, "I know the Lord will truly bless you for everything that you've done and as many people as you've helped.

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