A family legacy of giving back
Eight-year-old Mary Ellen Bridges of Lincolnton, N.C., recently visited the Guttenberg Public Library to deliver a gift from the heart — a group of children's books given in memory of her grandfather and great-grandparents.
Mary Ellen's ties to the Guttenberg community and the library go back several generations. She is the daughter of Shannon Rome Bridges and Steven Bridges, and the granddaughter of Jean Rome and the late Roy Rome, a Guttenberg native. She is the great-granddaughter of the late Elmer and Mary Ellen Rome, former Guttenberg residents.
When the current Guttenberg library was built in 1989, the construction was made possible in large part by the Rome family who made a generous donation in memory of Roy, who died in 1985 at the age of 34.
Mary Ellen's mother, Shannon, explains her daughter's passion for reading, saying, "Mary Ellen loves to read. Her favorite books are mysteries and American Girl books. She has loved books since she was a baby. Her first book was given to her at the hospital. It was Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? She could quote every word on every page before she could actually read. We have always read to her and we now have her read to us."
Every few years the family makes a trip to Guttenberg to visit relatives and visit the cemetery. "We always make a stop at the library," said Shannon. "Although Mary Ellen never met her Grandpa Roy, we always share our memories about him with her. We like to come see the picture hanging at the entrance of the library. We also share lots of memories about her great-grandma and grandpa, Mary Ellen and Elmer Rome. She knows that her great-grandparents liked to give back and that one way they did was helping to fund the building of the library and that it was dedicated to her Grandpa Roy."
"Mary Ellen is a giver," notes her mother. "She often asks to take food to Christian Ministries because she doesn't want people to be hungry. When we decided to make a trip this summer, Mary Ellen was excited to go to the library and wanted to take some books to leave for other children to enjoy. I thought it was a great idea. She was so excited to bring them and couldn't wait to get there to drop them off. "
"My grandma and grandpa were huge advocates for education and both liked to read," added Shannon. "As I have gotten older and started my own family, I realize now how important education and reading are. Even more importantly I wanted Mary Ellen to learn how to give back. We wanted Mary Ellen to continue their legacy and dedication to Guttenberg. Donating these books was a small way she could do this. She has never lived there and has only visited a few times, but this small town will always hold a special place in our family's hearts. She was named after an amazing lady and will hopefully live up to her namesake."
Outside of school, Mary Ellen does competitive dance and All-Star cheerleading. She also loves to spend time with her dogs.
Mary Ellen has relatives still living in this area. She is the great-niece of Kathy and Paul Krieg of Colesburg and the great-niece of Barb and Dick Schoenauer of Guttenberg.
