Sundays Spiritual Story

88-Year-Old Man Makes Almost 700 Quilts for Charity

A retired farmer in Sugar City is making a difference all over the world from his very own living room. Russ Wilding has made almost 700 quilts over the past few years and donated all of them to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Humanitarian Center. Because of his humility, Wilding did not want to be in this story. He says he's doing nothing special and doesn't deserve to be highlighted. The only reason he agreed to meet with us is he hopes that someone watching will be inspired to help others. Almost every morning for the past five years, 88 year old Russ Wilding has woken up and tied a quilt. Russ Wilding, Ties Quilts: "It's therapy for me actually. My health doesn't allow me to get out and do very much activity. I've done about 120 since the 17th of November. "It all started when his wife Lela passed away six years ago. They'd been married almost 59 years and Russ was extremely lonely so has used the love that tied him to Lela to tie him to others. Wilding: "I can just go reminisce in my own thoughts about her. That's her picture right there. I have it close so I can talk to her. "Russ cuts and ties the quilts then his friend, Grace Powell, picks them up and finishes them off. Wilding: "She'll just trim the edges and make them so she can put the binding around the edge so they're completed."From there they go to the LDS Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake where they're sent all over the world. Wilding: "They're ready for dispensing in disaster areas."Nothing can stop Russ from making them and he plans on doing it for a long time. Wilding: "I try to keep my hands busy so that they don't have to take me to the insane asylum down to Blackfoot."Nate Eaton, Channel 3 Eyewitness News: "How long are you going to keep doing this?"Wilding: "Till I'm put in my box I guess."It's a project that's changed his life as well as thousands of others. Wilding: "It's just a blessing to me to be able to have something that I can put my hands to doing."Russ gets his quilting supplies from his family, the Newdale and Sugar City LDS Wards, and the Humanitarian Center in Rexburg.