I am honored to be making a quilt square and sharing it. This is to tell the story of my late brother, Mark W. Keene.
On my square, I have put a picture of a duck. My brother was a great hunter. He had been involved with many game hunts both in and outside of the country. His home had many paintings, prints, and taxidermy animals adorning the walls.
He was a builder by trade, and there are many homes and buildings in this area that can attest to his skill and perfection.
Later, he became involved with restoring antique tractors. After he died, I was in touch with many people, both in PA and throughout the country, that had sought his expertise in restoring their tractors.
His black Lab, Izzy, had to be included. He loved animals, especially black Labs, and Izzy was the last of many that he had. He cared for her more, because she had belonged to his late wife, Wanda, who had died from breast cancer the year before.
Lastly, I included a fire truck. He was a lifetime member of the Scott Hose Co. Like our father, uncles, cousins, and grandfather, my brother belonged to a local volunteer company. It was a way of "giving back" which was important in my family.
My brother died doing what he loved best, helping people. On Feb 21, 2009, Mark and my step-nephew died saving two people from drowning. They were a 5 year old little girl and her mother. My step-nephew drowned and my brother had a fatal heart attack. Because of their heroics, they both received the Carnegie Medal of Heroism.
I chose to donate to the Gift of Life Donor Program, because I knew that even in death, my brother would be helping people-and that's the way he lived his life!