OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- When Sally Harder married her spouse, he enlisted into the Army during Vietnam. As a military spouse, she was responsible for all the tasks of keeping the home fires burning and raising their young family while he was away. After serving 23 years, her husband left the military and they continued to raise their family, but Sally’s connection to military life and the trials and tribulations associated with life as a military spouse stayed with her. She sought to maintain that connection through crochet.
These days, Sally can be found in her rocking chair with her yarn and hooks. She recalls learning to crochet at the age of five. She remembers making some small items she completed for her husband when he was gone during Vietnam, something to let him know he was being thought of. After 70 years of crocheting, recalling some of her favorite crafting projects brings a smile to her face.
Sally has a son, a daughter in-law and a son in-law who all retired with more than 20 years of service. She also has two grandchildren currently serving in the military. A grandson in the Army and a granddaughter stationed here.
“She has always enjoyed making gifts for military members,” said her granddaughter, Airman 1st Class Julie Hubbell, 55th Comptroller Squadron, financial services technician. “She even sent crafts for my friends while I was in technical school. She sends something different for almost every major holiday.”
Sally recalls learning from a friend how to make tissue paper flowers, when her daughter’s prom committee was short on decoration money for prom. Years later tissue flowers are one of the many crafts she sends to military members and their families and co-workers.
She finds crocheting to be a relaxing way to unwind and her unique way of staying connected to the ones she loves no matter how far away military service takes them. Sally’s thoughts wander to sending her pieces to family members serving in the armed forces. So many memories come to mind as she lovingly makes each stitch.
“It cheers people up,” Harder said. “Each bunny has its own personality after it is completed, and it’s fun for me to look at them and know someone else is going to enjoy them.”
Sally has crocheted 3,500 bunnies and other handcrafted items such as roses from tissue paper, pumpkin baskets and Christmas stockings.
During Desert Storm, her son, some cousins and some of her foster kids were serving in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. She joined a support group and they made 300 bunnies and mailed them overseas.
“I’ve been making things for people all of my life, it’s just little things to brighten up their desk,” said Harder. “I always try to include a note to let them know that we support all of them.”
Originally using only her own left over yarn for crafting, people in the community heard what she was doing. Now along with family members and friends, they donate yarn picked up at garage sales and estate sales. “It’s yarn that would have been discarded,” she explains. “This way it gets used again.”
Not only do you see her enjoying what she does for so many others in the military, you can hear it in her voice as she speaks to you. It’s clear how much she enjoys doing selflessly for others and you realize that a person can retire out of the military, but the military family way of life remains.