In honor of Barbara Heald and Elizabeth Jacobson

General Knitting
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Hi everyone. My name is Alison Jacobson, and I’m new to this list. (And kinda new to knitting.) On the needles right now are a pair of socks for DH, a diaper soaker in wool for DD, and an afghan for Elizabeth’s best friend from Iraq.

I’m posting a link from Arlington National Cemetery about Barbara Heald. She was a civilian who volunteered to help Iraq rebuild their government. Sadly, she was killed in action there by terrorists. What I found to be wonderful, though, was that she was a fellow knitter. She loved the craft so much that she was intered with needles and a ball of yarn at Arlington. The last article highlighted this. Additionally, there’s a pick of her holding Knitters Magazine in Iraq.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/bcheald.htm

The afghan I’m working on represents the saddest knitting project I’ve ever had to do. On September 28, my stepdaughter, Elizabeth Jacobson, was killed by an improvised explosive device which hit her convoy while she was serving in Iraq. She was 21 years old. She was the first woman in the Air Force killed in ground combat since World War II. Liza’s best friend, Anna, accompanied her remains back to the United States, and for that, our family will be forever grateful. So I’m knitting her an afghan made with a GORGEOUS and soft alpaca wool so that she can have a “hug” from us whenever she needs it.

About 1 day after Liza died, I tried to knit to comfort myself. It was just too much. It wasn’t until about a month after the funeral that I could do it again. But now, I think I’m able to, and it feels healing. I only knew Liza for a year and a half, as my husband and I were still at the end of our first year of marriage when she was killed. And tragically, she was never able to meet Miriam, our daughter who was born while she was in Iraq. (Miriam was 9 weeks old when the knock came at the door.) But knitting something for Anna will help, I hope …

Thanks for letting me talk about this. Please support all our troops, both home and abroad. I am so grateful for their service, and will never forget my sweet Elizabeth, who gave her life for this country, and who I counted as a wonderful friend and stepdaughter.

Alison

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Oh Alison, I’m so sorry, how sad. Hugs to you and yours. :heart:

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I am so saddened by your loss. I think that is very nice of you to knit Anna something.

Welcome to the forum, Allison. May God Bless you and your family - and all the troops that are fighting for us so that we can continue to live life as we are. They are angels on earth.

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Alison, I am so saddened by your loss, I have no words, just know that you and your family, and, of course, our troops & their families are in my prayers. I am so happy that you are now able to knit again & hope that you are finding comfort as you do so, Anna will cherish this for the rest of her life. Please know that you have a lot of friends here, we are merely a computer away.
BIG HUG

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Alison,

I know how much it can help to knit to heal. I have done the same thing when I lost my mom 2 years ago to cancer.

Also I think its neat that you spell your name with one L. Thats how my daughter Alison is named. Everyone here (Southern, ONT.) Thought I was wacky and made some error when writing her birth certificate…lol

Laura C

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We’re here for you. My family is a military family, have been all of my life, and forever will be in my heart. And my heart goes out to you. As a military family, this is especially hurtful to us, and we are thankful for this sacrifice that your family must endure.

I Thank You for sharing your step-daughters story, it is good to be reminded of what we are to be thankful for this year.

Denise

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I’m so sorry for your loss. Please know your family and the Heald family are in my thoughts and prayers. I keep the our military and their families in my prayers everyday. I read the link you provided and thought it was so sweet that her family decided to include some knitting needles yarn … “That way,…she’ll have something to do.” So sad… again your in my thoughts and prayers…

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Her love of the craft was so profound that her sister said the family decided to inter a ball of yarn and knitting needles along with her ashes.

“That way,” Geis said, “she’ll have something to do.”

This jsut made my day. So sorry to hear about your daughter inlaw. That "“hug” you are making sounds so wonderful, I’m sure her friend will treasure it.

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First of all, my deepest sympathy and respect you you and all military families for the extreme sacrifices your loved ones give to all of us. The supreme sacrifice being their lives to protect us, people they don’t even know. We all love you all for that :heart:

It also make my heart swell to hear of the touching ways people remember their loved ones and honor their hobbies and devotions. My dad was only 63 when he passed away 3 years ago and my brother and I knew he had to have something Green Bay Packers related with him. my mom found a picture she had given him of herself when they were sweethearts. Even though they were divorced when I was 17, he kept the Valentine she had sent the picture with to him from college in a small safe. She read the note, and tucked both into his suit coat. It finally reminded me that even though they were no longer married, they had loved each other and that made me feel so much better after he passed away.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and continue to visit here, these are the greatest batch of folks I have “met” so far…I feel like they are neighbors!
Take care and God Bless you and your family!
:heart: Jodie

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Your new husband must be devastated. Thank him for us for giving us a daughter that cared enough to be a soldier for all of us.

Blessings to you and him.