Man’s hobby benefits many

KEARNEY, Neb. — Every night, people whom Willis Holscher has never met curl up with his handiwork.

Holscher, 83, of Kearney, has made more than 2,000 quilts in the last decade and has given most of them to charitable organizations to distribute to needy families.

He said he began quilting not long after he retired and moved to Kearney from Bertrand, where he had farmed with his wife, Alice.

“I did a lot of woodworking when I first came over here, but I started to make so many mistakes that I quit,” Holscher said. “(Alice) was going to a church quilting group, and I wondered if I couldn’t do that. I have to have something to do, so I started that and I kept at it.”

“He just has to have something to do and wanted to feel like it was worthwhile,” Alice said. “It was a good project for him, and I just left him to do it. It was his project. I would help him once in a while to pick out materials, but that’s about it.”

Soon after he began quilting, Willis connected with Betty Grisham of Minden. Grisham and her husband also make quilts. She distributes them, along with Holscher’s quilts, to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island, Hospice groups in Kearney and Lincoln, and Lutheran Family Services, among other organizations.

“They are given out to families that basically, like at the hospital, maybe the mother doesn’t have anything to take her baby home in or something,” Grisham said. “We also give to the cancer center in Grand Island that’s connected to St. Francis because they give them out every month. We always give them at least five so the cancer patients can have one, because they’re always so cold.”

“Willis’ quilts are so detailed that we’re kind of picky about where we give those out,” she said.

Holscher is humble about his quilting and said he does it “just to keep busy with something.”

“There aren’t too many men around who do it, but I enjoy it,” he said.

“I think people are surprised when they know about it,” Alice said.

Holscher said his most popular quilt pattern has a Scottish terrier with red Nebraska Cornhuskers fabric. Another popular quilt has goal posts and a football.

“I just enjoy it because it helps other folks, and it takes up time and gives me something to do,” Holscher said.