PELHAM – Rows of stripes and stars represent the sacrifice women at Lakeview, Pelham’s First United Methodist Church, feel marine Darryl Anderson has made for his country.

Cathy Brown knows the importance of honoring those who have put their lives on the line everyday. That is why she, along with a group of ladies in Pelham, got together to create a beautiful, homespun masterpiece for Anderson.

The United Methodist Women group (UMW) worked diligently for months to give Anderson the stunning surprise. The seamstresses put together a stars-and-stripes quilt for the young marine, thanking him for his dedication to his country.

The surprise was something Anderson definitely did not see coming.

“I was in awe. It was not something I was expecting by any means,” said Anderson of the gift.

The marine has served three tours of duty in the Middle East, first in Afghanistan and twice in Iraq. Each excursion lasted for seven months.

Brown, along with Vicki Felix, who are both friends of Anderson’s family, knew that the ladies at Lakeview would be more than happy to devote their time and effort to this project. UMW member Ida Pulliam said Brown and Felix originally planned to hold a reception for Anderson. But they later decided that he deserved something more personal.

The ladies of the UMW meet every fourth Wednesday to discuss various ways to fund missions’ outreach.

The crafty ones of the bunch meet every Wednesday to participate in different arts and crafts activities – their most recent, of course, being the patriotic quilt.