Each Wednesday morning, a group of local women meet in the Title VI Elders Program building adjacent to the CPN Wellness Center with sewing on their minds. Officially known as the Wednesday Morning Women’s Circle, participants Doris Brenner, Patty Beeton, Suzie Brendelson, JoAnn Byler, Ida Tuttle, and Laura Oaks are either tribal members or spouses of Potawatomi.
Ida Tuttle decided to create a women’s circle after visiting the organization and noticing the elder woman with nothing to do.
As Doris Brenner put it, “We didn’t want to be sitting there just twiddling our thumbs. The circle was created when Ida organized a road trip to a Bluegrass music festival, we got lost and stopped to go to the bathroom. We got inspired by seeing quilts being raffled and sold at the travel plaza.”
Like many residents who were first hand witnesses to the destruction wrought by the May 2013 tornadoes, the group decided to put their sewing skills to use in helping out one of the victims by gifting quilts.
Tribal member Gayla Mosteller works for Sue’s Sewing Shoppe in Shawnee, Okla. and arranged the donated fabric for the quilt kits eventually be gifted to tornado victims.
While numerous individuals were considered for gifts, one person in particular came to mind. CPN Health Services physician Dr. Carrie Wood. Dr. Wood’s home, located in the Newalla area, suffered extensive damage in the May storm. She also happens to be the primary physician for several of the group members’. Once the ladies from the circle found out what she had endured they knew she was the one they wanted to honor.
The group presented the quilt, completed by Tribby Hardway, to Dr. Wood in front of assembled guests at the Title VI building. In attendance were Director of CPN Health Services Tim Tall Chief and Dr. Ron Shaw, Medical Director of CPN Health Services.
Upon receiving the quilt, Dr. Wood expressed her gratitude, telling the group, “I really want to thank you all so much. This really means a lot.”
The Wednesday Morning Women’s Sewing Circle was created February 2013. They encourage any women related to CPN to join them and have no age requirement. The group meets up Wednesday mornings at the Title VI Building. For more information on the sewing group, contact Doris Brenner at 405-275-5018 or Tami Fleeman, located at the Title VI Building.