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Married for 45 years, the Elliots work as a team but are quick to applaud each other\u2019s individual efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBob does repairs for elderly people who are unable to take care of things themselves,\u201d Sharon said. \u201cHe also built a dollhouse for the Literacy Council to auction as a fundraiser. He is really good at building things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building things is what he does best. Considered an expert in the field of concrete management, he played a major role in establishing the School of Concrete and Construction at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). His background in tech service in the Ready Mix company provided him with the experience. Still, it was his vision for the future and his desire to help young people that made it possible for him to help establish the first and one of only four such programs nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey told him it couldn\u2019t be done,\u201d Sharon said. \u201cHe did it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Convincing the governing powers was no easy task. Bob was recruited to participate in seminars across the country with hopes of gaining support, but the idea was rejected by five universities before MTSU came on board. He continued to promote the idea until others caught on. The School of Concrete and Construction now offers two Bachelor of Science degrees to prepare its students for a $1 trillion-plus industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Bob nodded and smiled as his wife praised him, then turned his attention back to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a mean woman,\u201d he said with an air of mischief. \u201cShe\u2019s got a whole room of quilts upstairs and won\u2019t let me use one of them when I\u2019m cold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She shakes her head and mumbled, \u201cOh, Bob. You know I have quilts for you when you are cold, just not the ones upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upstairs is a sewing room full of beautiful, one-of-a-kind, award-winning quilts, each one the epitome of design and craftsmanship. Unlike typical heirloom quilts, made to be passed down from one generation to the next, many of these quilts are Quilts of Valor, awarded only to service members and living veterans of the U.S. armed forces. The presentation is a civilian award to recognize the recipient\u2019s service and sacrifice. It is much more than a gift or present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The founder of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, Catherine Roberts, came up with the idea when her own son was deployed to Iraq. She described these quilts as the civilian equivalent of a Purple Heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sharon also creates quilts depicting notable historic military scenes. These quilts are often entered into competitions, with Sharon\u2019s work taking top honors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She first envisions the scene and then draws it freehand before cutting the fabric to match her design. Some of her ideas have included the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere\u2019s Ride, and even the 6 Triple 8, referring to an all-Black women\u2019s army corps in World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of her quilts are labors of love, some taking as long as five months to create, but the Quilts of Valor have the most special meaning for her. Her son, Michael, is a Navy veteran, now working as a cybersecurity professional protecting government and civilian systems from cyber threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Michael was wounded twice on active duty while supporting the global war on terrorism. He has had to overcome serious physical injuries with lasting effects as well as emotional trauma. For reasons of national security, he is not allowed to discuss his missions, but he told his mother, \u201cMom, you never forget it. You just learn to cope with it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One means of coping came about through a service dog, a Rottweiler named Brew, who was trained to sense impending anxiety. For five years, he served Michael as a loyal companion, helping him cope with his post-traumatic stress disorder. Brew passed away from cancer but is remembered as a hero in his own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because Michael is a hero, he met the qualifications to be honored with a quilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe served 17 \u00bd years,\u201d Sharon said. \u201cMichael received his own Quilt of Valor, and I presented it to him myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n All Quilt of Valor recipients receive the utmost respect and a warm hug during the ceremony as the quilts are wrapped around their bodies. The act is a symbolic gesture of the foundation\u2019s support for the beloved service men and women who have had their backs during times of peace or conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both Sharon and Bob are blessed with the gift of seeing the needs of others. Serving others brings them joy, and they are always willing to have the backs of people who could use a little help and a hug. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ON THE outskirts of Tullahoma, in a beautifully decorated cottage with a welcoming front door, two visionaries dwell. Bob and Sharon Elliot are a married couple with eyes that imagine what could be and hearts that make good things happen. Sharon insists they are just ordinary people who enjoy being active in their community and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":24893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/03\/Image-Resize-1024x683.jpg\")
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