MEDINA —
The Sandstone Trust of Medina has exceeded its 2010 summer campaign goal on the strength of a very special memorial gift which was made public this week. The immediate family of the late Fern J. Blackburn (widow of Paul R. Blackburn) presented a major contribution to the Trust committee in an amount equaling 20 percent of the entire summer campaign goal of $25,000. With this support, the total of summer gifts stands today at approx. $27,000, leaders said.
“It was a thrill to be able to put the last bit of red coloring on the thermometer downtown and to know that the people of Medina had responded so well,” said a smiling Margaret “Peggy” Schreck, secretary of the Medina Sandstone Society.
The news of the Blackburn contribution was a proud moment for Trust committee people and they have expressed their deep appreciation to the three children of Fern Blackburn, who made the memorial gift possible. The three Blackburns with their spouses — Lee (Maureen) Blackburn, Nelda (David) Callard, and Gary (Patty) Blackburn — are identified with a pioneer rural family of this area, largely located in the Town of Ridgeway. Notables of the family have included leaders in education, government, agriculture and community life.
The document transmitting the gift started by saying:
“We recognize the opportunities provided and the life’s lessons conveyed to us by our parents, Paul and Fern Blackburn, and these lessons include stewardship of the land, importance of education, dedication and commitment to church, service to the community, fiscal integrity and vision for the future. We wish to insure that the direction of their work continues. So in that regard we are assisting the Medina Sandstone Trust Fund with a memorial gift of five thousand dollars.”
The woman who is central to this memorial gift was born in Lyndonville as a member of the Bentley family and she became well educated, concerned with public affairs, vitally interested in people and totally aware of life around her right up to her death last June at 93. She attended Cornell University
and earned a Master’s Degree at Buffalo State and engaged in a teaching career from which she retired in 1972.
Those close to her have called her “a person who communicated well with people and who had a lot of friends, leading her to be out and about in her community right into old age.” They said, “She knew who you were, she knew about people’s roots, but she kept an overview of world affairs and the impact on those affairs of what we do here on earth.”
Fern read long and frequently and was in touch with government and economic affairs.
“She always took notes about things and her feeling for educating herself never stopped,” said one friend.
The Sandstone Trust which received the Blackburn gift will conclude its 2010 summer campaign at the end of this month and it will add current income to its base funding, giving it total invested assets of over $40,000.
The Trust will reserve several thousand dollars to begin giving community support grants this fall. The application process for grants will be announced at that time.
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