Quilt finds loving home

On the morning after Thanksgiving, Shirley Crow drew the winner from more than 1,200 tickets sold for the raffle quilt she had made and donated to the museum. A volunteer sent the call, but it went to voicemail, so left a message. Soon we heard a ring. A faint, tentative voice said, “I received a call, and I hope it’s not a joke....? Sandy Historical Society secretary Ann Marie Amstad assured the winner that the call was, indeed, no joke.

From a spontaneous single purchase of $5 for three tickets, Gabriella had won “Garden Party,” our 2023 Raffle Quilt.

The exquisite picture quilt had taken Shirley years to hand-sew and had fueled the imagination and hopes of many ticket buyers throughout the past year. Much about the quilt had reminded Gabriella of her childhood. The vintage water pump with a handle was like the one her family used to provide water. The little white church and other features reminded her of her neighborhood and days gone by.

Gabriella’s excitement grew as the good news became more real.

“I know it’s going to be a good day when I took a walk around the neighborhood and saw the Christmas decorations,” she said. She shared a bit of her story.

Gabriella Fuka (pronounced “Fyoo’kah”) was born in Budapest and grew up in Hungary. She relocated to the United States in 1971 and lived in Baltimore. Three years later she met her husband-to-be. She said her future mother-in-law was a good matchmaker.

“I have just the boy for you,” she had said. Her son Howard and Gabriella were soon married. Howard was in military service and they lived in several places, including southern California, which he did not like. Then his ship came up to Portland’s Rose Festival.

“Gabriella, I have just the place for you,” he told her after retiring from the Navy. He said a river ran through the city, evoking her childhood memories of the lovely Danube River which runs through Budapest and several other capital cities.

Then they moved from a big city to a small town. Her husband became facility maintenance manager at Timberline Lodge. They were married 44 years until Howard’s death five years ago....

“I’m going to find a wonderful place to display it in my house,” Gabriella assured as she touched the quilt.

“One good turn deserves another,” she mused further. “I made a quilted item and gave it away, and was given a quilt in turn.”

“I will treasure it. My daughter Gaby vill treasure it also, and her daughter, too.” She hugged the folded quilt as she took it toward its new home.