A civic leader whose estate has donated money, and several business and organizations were honored last week as part of Civic Donor Appreciation Night at the Slatington Public Library.

Wanda Owens, president of the library, welcomed those in attendance and said the purpose of the program was to honor its guests to a Night of Recognition for Rodney Mummey and area civic groups.

“We are so pleased to offer special recognition to the family and friends of Rodney and the representatives of these worthy organizations,” Owens said.

Owens said the Louise Hallman Memorial Plaques were donated by her children Linda Nierer, Connie Rehrig, and Russell Hallman in memory of their mother. It also gave other members of the Northern Lehigh Community the opportunity to honor their family members or friends by donating $1,000 to the library.

“The Slatington Public Library is grateful to the Hallman family for this unique way to support our library,” she said. “There have been many additions to the plaques over the last several years, and tonight we will be adding Rodney’s name to this distinguished list.”

Owens added that last year the Slatington Public Library decided it was time to establish a civic recognition plaque to honor its civic donors of $500 in a calendar year.

This plaque was donated by the board president on behalf of the entire board of directors.

“We are so grateful for these civic organization’s support of the library’s mission of service to the Northern Lehigh Community,” she said.

The library honored the late Rodney and Karen Mummey with their names on the library’s memorial plaque as their donations in memory exceeded $1,000, while their estate donated $10,000.

The Louise Hallman Memorial Plaques were donated by her children Linda Nierer, Connie Rehrig, and Russell Hallman in memory of their mother. It also gave other members of the Northern Lehigh community the opportunity to honor their family members or friends by donating $1,000 to the library.

The library said it’s grateful to the Hallman family for this unique way to support it.

Last year, the library decided it was time to establish a Civic Recognition Plaque to honor its Civic donors of $500 in a calendar year. This plaque was donated by the board president on behalf of the entire board of directors.

Hali Kuntz, board member, said that Rodney Mummey was a teacher, veteran, dedicated husband and brother, as well as a pillar of the Northern Lehigh community.

Born in Slatington in 1941, Rodney was one of 11 children of the late Oliver and Margaret (Heimbach) Mummey. After honorably serving as a medical corpsman in the United States Army, Rodney attended Muhlenberg College and worked for a time at Dun and Bradstreet and as a driving instructor.

In 1968, Rodney joined the mathematics faculty of Northern Lehigh School District where he taught his entire career.

“He served as an athletic statistician for several school teams, was a high school class adviser for the class of 1972 of which I was a member, and accompanied students to Europe, along with his wife Karen, on most of the German exchange trips organized by fellow teacher Bernice Hicks in conjunction with the local Pastorius Society, one of those journeys my family and I had the privilege of taking,” Kuntz said. His wife Karen, who grew up in Slatedale, was just as dedicated to our community but chose to stay more in the background, always supportive and helping as necessary.

“Like his parents, Rodney was a pillar of the Northern Lehigh community. He held many positions in the Northern Lehigh Jaycees. He was, however, completely dedicated to this library. As his family stated, Rodney and Karen both believed that religion and the library were and shall always remain the center of this community.

“Not only did he serve as library president and on the board of directors for countless years, he worked as one of its unofficial maintenance crew members with the late John Kisthardt. Rodney also continued to help create its annual budget long after leaving the board of directors.

“Most importantly, Rodney was the driving force in renovating this building, a former 5 and 10 cent store, in which we sit tonight when the library relocated in 1987. Some of you may remember or were part of the book passing up Main Street from the library’s former location.

“In closing, the library as we know it would not be here had it not been for dedicated lifelong residents like Rodney and Karen Mummey. The library is extremely appreciative for both the financial contributions by and in memory of Rodney and Karen but more importantly, for the community devotion these individuals gave.”

Eight civic groups/businesses who donated a minimum of $50 to the library were recognized at Civic Donor Appreciation Night: Law Offices of Steckel and Stopp, the Slatington Open Golf Tournament, Drs., Cressman and Yablonski Family Practice, and Heidi Kistler - Pampered Chef Consultant, The Woman’s Club of Slatington, the Rotary Club of Slatington, The Second Chance Shoppe of Slatington, and Dr. Linda K. Blose.

“Your generosity is what keeps our shelves stocked, our programs running, and our doors open to the community,” Lynne Fedorcha, treasurer, said. “Thanks to your invaluable contributions, the library remains a vibrant hub of learning, exploration, and connection for all ages.”