After nearly eight decades in Flin Flon and Snow Lake, Betty Stringer has left her mark on the region in countless ways.
But as she prepares to embark on a new chapter in her life, she can also reflect on the mark she has left on the world.
Stringer, 83, is a driving force behind the Flin Flon Lutheran Church Quilting Group, which sends cozy coverings to disaster zones and other areas of severe need.
Over the past 21 years, she and her fellow quilters have stitched together 3,823 quilts – and forged the deepest of friendships.
“It’s nice to be with people, meet new friends and we have a good time,” says Stringer, a kindly, grandmotherly figure.
Originally from Tisdale, Saskatchewan, Stringer was a child when she and her family moved to Flin Flon in 1939. Her father, Arthur Muir, had hired on at HBM&S, now Hudbay.
As a young woman, Stringer fell for a handsome man 10 years her senior. His name was Adolph Stringer.
Adolph hired on as a chef with HBM&S. After his transfer to Snow Lake, the Stringers spent 22 years in that community before returning to Flin Flon in 1982.
Betty was already in her 60s when she joined the Lutheran Church Quilting Group in 1994.
She had only limited quilting experience at the time. Nonetheless, she would play a pivotal role in the group, which relies on teamwork to finish each comfy covering.
Completed quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief, a non-profit that specializes in international development and disaster relief.
With Adolph having passed away last fall, Betty is now moving to Winnipeg to be near son Jim and most of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She says she’ll miss a lot about Flin Flon, including her church, her friends and, of course, her quilting group.
“It’s going to be a change for me,” says Betty, adding, however, that she is excited to be near her family.
Her fellow quilters are happy for their friend but can certainly agree on one thing: In Betty Stringer, Flin Flon’s loss is Winnipeg’s gain.
