On August 6, 2025, family members, senior nutrition center friends and some of the Mason County 4-H seamstresses gathered at the Mason Historical Building to honor Big Grandpa (Aurelio Mesa) with a Quilt of Valor for his military service during World War II. Mr. Mesa, now 98 years young, served from 1946 - 1948.
Last year, the Mason County 4-H sewing club initiated a new project with the expertise of local quilters Tess Geistweidt and Elizabeth Evans and funding from the Mason Community Foundation grant. Serenity Quilts in Brady has graciously bound and quilted the completed quilts free. After presenting the first quilt last year, one 4-H’er suggested that the club honor her great grandfather, who is a veteran and served in the United States Army. Emma Denning, along with fellow 4-H quilters, set out to complete a quilt for Emma’s Grandpa.
Surprising former Sergeant First Class Mesa at the quilt presentation were his children Sophia Balderaz, Phyllis Valez, Lucy Delgado, and Juan Mesa, his granddaughter Chelsie Denning and his great grandchildren Emma and Jaxon Denning. During his service, Aurelio Mesa received the Rifle M-1 Marksman award, the World War II Victory medal, and the Army of Occupation medal Texas 4-H Under Our Wings: Quilts of Valor (QOV) Program is a part of the 4-H Fashion and Interior Design Project. In 2003, a quilter named Catherine Roberts started the movement that became Quilts of Valor when her son was deployed in Iraq. Since that time, over 190,000 Quilts of Valor have been awarded across the United States. The mission is to honor service members and veterans who have been touched by war with comfort and healing. A large component of 4-H is civic involvement and community service. This handmade and machine quilted QOV says unequivocally to Sergeant Mesa, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.”
