By Mary Drier (Contact / Staff Bio)
July 3, 2009 - 09:57 a.m. EST

MAYVILLE — As America celebrates the birth of its independence this weekend, a gift for the birth of a U.S. solider’s son is being sent to Iraq.

Army PFC Jared Mathews, 23, formerly of Mayville, has been stationed in Iraq since September 2008. Earlier this year, he missed the birth of his son, Jonathan W. Mathews, born March 6.

While Mathews has never held his son, he will soon be able to hold a baby blanket that was made for both of them by a family friend.

Nancy Kontak was Mathews’ music teacher years ago. He had been on eof her favorite students and when she heard about the brth of Mathew’s son, she wanted to do something special for Jared and his baby.

When Mathews was a child, he took accordion lessons from Kontak. According to his grandmother, Violet Mathews of Mayville, he didn’t learn to play the musical instrument very well, but his kind nature put the squeeze on his teacher’s heart and her family.

Kontak and her husband, Allen, and their daughter, Beth, started making a baby quilt for Jonathan that they would give to Jared so he would have something of his family to hold close while overseas, and that he could give to his son when he returned from Iraq.

“The whole family helped make the blanket. Nancy did the (needle) work, Allen cut out the squares, and Beth did the computer work copying pictures,” said Mathews.

To make the quilt, the Kontaks used Jonathan’s baby pictures reproduced on some of the squares. The Army green and gold blanket has squares with Jonathan’s photo, and some with the baby and his mother, Tara. Other squares on the blanket have stars, and pieces of material printed with helicopters and the word “Army.”

“It’s really something to see,” said Mathews. “It’s wonderful.”

When the blanket was put together, Kontak took it to Bob’s Quilt Shop in Bay City to have it quilted.

“There’s a Bible verse on the quilt: ‘Joshua 19 - Be strong and of good courage; neither be afraid, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,’” said Mathews. “When he was helping clean up the base after basic training, he found that inscription on a nugget, and has worn it around his neck since then.

“When Nancy was making the quilt, she asked if there was any special saying or anything that he wanted on the blanket, and he asked for that verse.”

The baby blanket also has a pocket on the back where pictures or a keepsake can be kept.

“So much work went into this, and I was worried about sending it over there and something happening to it. But they said they really wanted it mailed to him so he had something of the baby’s,” said Mathews. “And, then there will also be some history with it, too.”

The blanket was completed before the U.S. celebrated its independence, and will be on its on its way to a foreign country that is just gaining theirs, noted the grandmother.

On June 30, troops began withdrawing from Iraq. Jared is expected to return home in September. When he does, he will be able to hold his son for the first time and wrap him in his special baby blanket.

Jared’s parents are Brad and Beth Mathews of Davison, and his grandparents are Violet and the late Jay Mathews of Mayville.

“We thought he was going to be home for the birth. She was supposed to have a C-section, but the doctors decided the baby’s lungs weren’t developed enough, so they waited to do the surgery,” said Violet Mathews. “He had to go back to Iraq on Feb. 23, so he wasn’t here for the birth.”

Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.