Thieves steal quilt fashioned from late husband's T-shirts

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A family is asking for the public's help locating some sentimental keepsakes that were stolen during a burglary Monday.

Police said the burglary happened between 9 and 10 a.m. Monday morning. Dorothy Adair was out running errands when a thief broke into her Torresdale home.

Among the items that were taken was a jewelry box containing items that belonged to her late husband of 65 years, his rosary beads and his dog tags that he wore in case he got lost, as he had Alzheimer's.

"I always held on to them, every night I held on to them. They were my last thing, they put me to sleep at night," said Dot Adair. "There are things that are irreplaceable,"

Most upsetting is the thief also stole a quilt - a unique keepsake that Dot's daughters had made for her from T-Shirts belonging to Francis "Bud" Adair, t-shirts representing important places in his life.

But why take a quilt? The thinking is the thief threw his loot on the quilt which was on Dot's bed.

"I think he went through mom's bureau, just scooped it, threw everything on the bed, because that is where the quilt always was," said daughter Fran Essai. "I think they got spooked, wrapped it up and got out as quick as they could."

Essai and her family hope someone knows where it is and returns it, but the family is fearful that someone who has the items will just throw them away, not recognizing their importance and value, and they will lose those items for good.

What they are hoping is that someone's heart will be moved as they will now know what it is that was taken, and they will take the items to the family's parish church, St. Katherine of Sienna, on the 7900 block of Frankford Avenue, and drop them off, no questions asked.