Teacher Celebrates Retirement By Raising Funds For Scholarships With Quilt Auction

(KNSI) – A St. Cloud area elementary school teacher is auctioning off handmade quilts he’s made with students as he nears retirement. Deacon John Wocken says he started making quilts in 1996, a few years after he began teaching as a life skills project for a Montessori class. He’s made one quilt per class ever since. Deacon Wocken says he was planning on keeping the quilts, but he changed his mind in the last year.

Catholic Community Schools

“I had thought of keeping them as a momento. I told the children as I made each of these quilts that when I was old and retired and in my wheelchair, I would wrap myself up in these quilts and pray for each of them. Then, as I was nearing retirement, I thought, I don’t really need 27 quilts in my basement. Why don’t I give these back to the kids? Why don’t I open up the opportunity for them to be able to have the quilt that they helped create?”

That’s when the idea to hold an auction was born with the money going to fund scholarships for students to attend St. Katharine Drexel School in St. Cloud. Deacon Wocken says there’s a bit of each student in every quilt because the students decide what goes into the quilt.

“The children bring fabric as part of their school supplies in the fall. They’re asked to bring a quarter yard of cotton fabric. And around Christmas time, I take that fabric and cut it into the pieces I need for the quilt project. And then, during January, the students and I work on creating the quilt top.”

Deacon Wocken has a handful of grandmothers who’ve helped him over the years with putting the top, the batting, and the backing together. On the back of each quilt are the students’ names who helped make them.

“On the back of each of the quilts, I have a piece of muslin fabric which the children have signed their names on. So, all of the children from 1996 to now have their names on the back of these quilts.”

He says each quilt is like a bit of a time capsule of what kids were into at the time. The quilts are being auctioned off on the Catholic Community Schools website with a starting bid of $100. The auction is open to the general public. The auction goes until the end of March.

Deacon Wocken has taught first, second, and third grade during his 31 years at St. Marys Cathedral School, St. Mary’s- St.

Catholic Community Schools

Augustine School, and St. Katharine Drexel School Catholic Community School, where he’s currently teaching.

Deacon Wocken will retire at the end of the school year and says he will miss the children’s hellos as he sees them in the morning and passes students in the hallway. He also plans to spend more time volunteering as a Chaplain at St. Cloud Hospital. Deacon Wocken will also continue his work with the parishes at St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Augustine’s Church, St. John’s Cantius Church, and baptism preparations.

To bid on the quilts click here.

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