The Mary Martha
Circle of the Kennedy United Methodist Church were the "young " ladies
of the church. One evening in the year 1954 while meeting at the home of Beth Leege
Crandall, the statement was made. " Can't we do something for the Town?
Rhea Shuart said " What the Town needs is a Library."
The next weekend while visiting parents in Gerry, New York, Jan Rublee told her
mother Mrs. Ayling. She knew Mrs. Sullivan the Librarian at Stockton, and
arranged a meeting with her. So Bea Cobb, Rhea Shuart and Jan Rublee went
to the Stockton Library. Mrs. Sullivan was wonderful! She showed us
all and gave lots of information. She said " Oh it's easy, all you
need is $25.00 and a book drive."
Lots of notices and information was sent out. After 3 bake sales at the Kennedy
Store, we had our $25.00. Then a night in January was set for the book
drive. The ladies of the Mary Martha Circle canvassed the Town in the
worst blizzard of the year. Bea Cobb, Jan Rublee, Beth Crandall, Helen
Bunce, Bonnie Foulk, Wilma Newman, and Marge Roth collected lots of
books, some attics were cleaned.
The American Legion of Kennedy owned a big building that had
been a church, then the Printing Company. They told us we could have the
building. They fixed what had been the clock room in front of the
building. It was about 12' by 12' filled with shelves and a desk. Mrs.
Sullivan from Stockton came over and helped us start. She helped us catalog
the books and the card system used
then
Mrs. Louise Anderson a dear lady from our church who lived
across the the street from the Library offered to serve as Librarian. and her
husband Percy was the janitor. Both without pay at that time. It was
a Success!
When
the Legion bought the old school they moved us into the gym that was in the
basement. We were growing and we were told that we needed a
"Board" just as a formality. So we asked the Citizens of
the Town. When Jan Rublee asked Earl Cross, he owned and operated the
Kennedy Store, an officer in the Fire Company, treasurer of the church and so
busy. He wanted to know if it took much time....." Oh no! 4 meetings a
year is all" Years later after band concerts, ice cream socials and
many more meetings and serving as President to the board for many years at a
public meeting he said " Don't believe anything Jan Rublee says"
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dated in
1893