By Meg Deak
The Haldimand Press
JARVIS—Imagine a display of thousands of poppies across town – a grand gesture of remembrance. Thanks to Darlene Fehrman and her family, we won’t have to just imagine.
Darlene and her sister-in-law, Marcia Fehrman, have crocheted thousands of poppies in the past year, all by hand. Marcia’s daughter, Cristine Mile, also helped.
Jean Collins
Darlene’s vision is to arrange four crocheted poppies in a row and attach them to telephone poles throughout Jarvis using florist wire. The idea was inspired by the famous poem “In Flanders’s Fields”, which mentions poppies growing in the field “row on row”. A larger display of poppies, sewn by hand onto netting, will also be on display at Leisure Living retirement home, where Darlene’s mother, Jean Collins, resides.
Jean is a big motivator for the project as she was part of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Additionally, Darlene’s uncle fought in the Korean War. She describes the project as a fitting tribute.
“The project is a very personal thing,” explained Darlene. “It’s really for my mom.”
She first got the idea for the project from Pinterest. Crocheting is new to Darlene, having picked it up in retirement: “During quarantine I couldn’t go anywhere so I had to find something to keep my hands busy.”
The poppies were set to go up November 1 and will remain until the day after Remembrance Day. However, putting the poppies on telephone poles meant a long bureaucratic process for Darlene.
JARVIS—Just some of the thousands of poppies created for the display.
“All I wanted to do was put some poppies on a pole,” said Darlene. To make that happen, Darlene had to apply to join the Jarvis Board of Trade as a non-profit, a requirement to apply for permission from the County. Darlene also had to write to the Royal Canadian Legion, asking permission for the use of the poppy as a symbol.
“I had no idea it would be such a big process,” she added. Despite the bureaucratic obstacles, Darlene has continued on with the project.
Darlene believes in the ability of poppies to act as emblems of remembrance and hope – remembrance for all who sacrificed and fought for the freedoms we enjoy today.
“With COVID and everything going on, this is a time to stop and think of how lucky we are,” concluded Darlene. “For what my mom, my uncle, and other veterans fought for and have gotten us.”
