News - A generous gift to the community - A generous gift to the community

Twas  the season for gift giving and some of the best gifts are those that are unexpected. This was the case for the Friends of Webber Park Library on December 3. The late and beloved community member, Edna C. Downing, left a $10,000 bequest to Webber Park Library in her estate. Nancy Grimme and Lynn Price are the executors of the Edna Downing Estate and  Nancy Grimme presented the check to the Friends group at their December meeting. Nancy talked about Edna’s lifelong commitment to children, education and to the Webber-Camden community.  She said Edna wanted the money to be used to improve literacy and to benefit children, just as her life’s work did.   

Edna Downing received a B.S. in English from the U of M College of Education in 1941 and a Masters Degree in Education, from Macalester College. She was a life-long English teacher, literacy advocate, administrator and consultant. The U of M awarded Edna the 2004 Outstanding Achievement Award, considered to be the U’s highest honor,  for her contributions to education, in particular her newspapers in education curriculum. The book, titled How to Read and Use the Newspaper in Classroom, was selected as the Best Book Written by an Educator, by the American Newspaper Foundation. Edna Downing’s contributions to our community were innumerable and included the Edna Carolyn Downing Scholarship for English Education and the Patrick Henry Partnership Project with the U of M.  The U’s Fall 2004 Link publication quoted Edna regarding her goals as a teacher. She said she hoped her students would be “successful and encouraged through my classes. That’s the test — it’s not just subject matter, but it’s people opening up and expanding their horizons through language and literature.”  

The Friends of Webber Park Library are looking forward to continuing Edna’s work of supporting  literacy initiatives in our community. Friends treasurer, Kate Peterson said, “Naturally, we are both thrilled and honored…this is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in our community!” Remarking on her role as executor, Nancy Grimme said, “I have been blessed to have her in my life. It’s been a pleasure to be her executor.”  The Friends are planning to formally recognize her gift in 2012. Edna C. Downing died in 2008, but her legacy lives on in the generosity she has shown to our community.