Beyond the Sunset

This quilt was made in commemoration of my father, Roy Beversdorf, following his rather sudden death in 1998. During surgery he suffered a major stroke and was put on a respirator. He was deteriorating and my family had to decide whether to continue treatment or not.

As a Christian I felt very mixed emotions. On the one hand I was happy that my father would be "absent from the body, but present with the Lord", but at the same time I still wanted to hold onto that life.

The quilt represents God's hand pulling the figure of my father toward heaven. At the bottom of the quilt are hands reaching up to grasp him. They represent the members of my family trying to delay his departure. Behind the figure is a glorious sunset that represents the end of his life and yet is filled with hope for a new day in heaven.

If you look closely at the work, you will discover a cloud of angels accompanying the ascending spirit. This is my way of showing that God never forsakes us�even in death. His protection is always with us.