A sister uses her gifts to send messages to fallen soldier
NEENAH, Wis. — She begins each time by sharpening her tools, with the sound of metal on metal echoing through the sunlit old house she calls both home and workshop. Making a violin is a methodical art. For Sonja St. John, that structure is a necessity — and the routine, in many ways, a saving grace.
“It’s a way to stay on track even when chaos can be happening right outside,” she says.
She finishes each new violin with another ritual, by gluing a small, handwritten message inside. This began as a light gesture, with favourite fortunes from cookies placed inside with a wink as hidden signatures of sorts from her, the violin maker. But the notes she leaves now have become far more personal and meaningful.
Each is different, but they are often a tribute to those who’ve given of themselves in some way, members of the military included. Her most recent one reads: “In honour of past, present and future souls of courage and wisdom.”