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Early in January,
The Shelby Museum lost its oldest, longest-serving member. Our
beloved Sally, at age 95, had been curator or officer for nearly
50 years. She was a historian, a promoter of Shelby's unique
history, charter member (1971) of The Gamble Mills Chapter 507
Questers Club in Shelby, and charter member of The Shelby Museum
(organized in 1976). The Questers Club is a national organization
dedicated to preserving local history. As a very active member,
Sally helped the club in 1976 to organize our “new”museum
housed in rooms of the old Mutual Building at 23 West Main St,
and later to move to its present location at 23 East Main St..
She also helped organize and preserve early artifacts in Central
Park. In 1983, along with local dentist, Dr. Paul Martin and
many volunteers, she saved Shelby's log cabin. She raised funds
and made arrangements for its move to its current location in
Central Park, and along with donations she raised from the community,
housed the cabin with early artifacts. Sally was much more than
an inspiring “idea person”, she always was first to
roll up her sleeves and lead to implement them. As an example,
for the log cabin, she gathered and transported all “local”
stones to Central Park and then helped build the cabin's chimney
and fireplace!
She was the inspiration
to preserve and restore, on two occasions, Shelby's bandstand.
Through the years, she enthusiastically spoke to many local school
children, groups, and organizations, always emphasizing Shelby's
long history of excellence in many areas. She helped to organize
Shelby Bicycle Days and Shelby's Sesquicentennial (1984) celebration,
and to write the resulting book. Sally loved the fact that a
fire station in Livermore, California contacted her, saying they
had an old Shelby Light Bulb that was still burning in the ceiling
of their fire station. They asked her for background information
and with that, have since built a very successful annual celebration
over a now 123 year old still-working light bulb manufactured
here in Shelby, Ohio. A Dawn Powell (well known Shelby author)
writing contest was a city-wide project of Sally's for many years.
By supplying information, she also helped authors in the publication
of several books pertaining to Shelby history.
The list of all
her achievements is much longer than can be contained here. No
one will ever take her place! Her dedication to our town's valuable
heritage leaves a legacy we all will always be grateful for.
May we value and continue her example to us, for those generations
who will follow.
Thank you, Sally.
We loved you!
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