Edna M. Sheary
THE
EDNA M. SHEARY CHARITABLE TRUST PROJECT
THE
ELLEN CLARKE BERTRAND LIBRARY
BUCKNELL
UNIVERSITY
LEWISBURG,
PENNSYLVANIA
History is often the juxtaposition of stories linking generations. In a remarkable coincidence, Eli Slifer is closely linked to Edna M. Sheary, whose generosity funded this web-based project. The project features the manuscript material of Pennsylvania statesman Eli Slifer, who dedicated his life to public service. Slifer assumed the presidency of the Union National Bank of Lewisburg in 1869. Over 100 years later, in 1970, Edna M. Sheary was named Vice-President of that same financial institution, now the Lewisburg branch of the Mellon Bank.
WEB SITE
The web site, "Lewisburg, Union County, Pennsylvania: A Place in History," is a collaborative effort of the Information Services and Resources staff of Bucknell University. The overarching objective of this site is to provide broader access to unique or relatively rare Special Collections/University Archives materials documenting the early history of the Buffalo Valley. Three separate yet interrelated sections, subdivided into topical units, illustrate the formation of the region, and the lives of those who contributed to its development.
The first section is devoted to published sources. Four published histories and an index have been digitized and appear as full texts. These are supported by a selected bibliography of additional materials available for research.
The next section, Civil War Resources, begins with a description of the Slifer-Walls Collection of official documents, literary manuscripts, letters, and family papers. This description is followed by biographies of the major figures represented in the Slifer-Walls papers. Their biographies are presented in order of significance and amount of material within the collection. A history of Delta Place, the home of the Slifer family, now the Slifer House Museum, is included in the biography of Catharine Frick Slifer, which also contains links to images of the house from 1862 to the present. Although Catharine Frick Slifer's given name is spelled "Catherine" in some secondary sources, the name is spelled here as it is most often appears in correspondence and family records.
The bulk of the digitally reproduced papers in the Civil War Resources section are those of Eli Slifer, a Lewisburg businessman who served as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the Civil War. Other manuscript items include letters of, or to, Governor Andrew G. Curtin, Slifer's wife Catharine, and his business partners, William Cameron and John Walls. Wartime correspondence between Walls and his son Dr. Augustus Walls, field surgeon in the Union Army, is also included. The materials selected from the Slifer-Walls Collection have been described, transcribed, reproduced as scanned facsimiles, and indexed by surname.
Further subdivisions in the Civil War Resources section encompass an overview of Union County's participation in the War, and digital full-text facsimiles of 19th-century local newspapers. Selected bibliographies of Northern States web sites and Pennsylvania Civil War published sources are the last two subdivisions of the section.
The final segment of the web site focuses on genealogical data for the four-county area. Material originally compiled by professional genealogist Mary Belle Lontz has been reorganized, and is now electronically searchable by surname for birth, marriage, military service, and burial data. These data are supplemented by the online Guide for Genealogical Studies: Lycoming, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union Counties. The Guide contains information on access and holdings for all area repositories, and an introduction to compiling family histories. Bound paper copies are available at each repository.
THE EDNA M. SHEARY CHARITABLE TRUST GRANT
This local history project was made possible by a $15,000 grant awarded in 1998 by The Edna M. Sheary Charitable Trust. Continuing support for the project will be provided by Bucknell University in fulfillment of its mission to provide information access to the campus and local communities.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Transcriptions of Civil War materials appear exactly as worded in the original texts. The typescript of the flag presentation by Anna Slifer Walls was compiled, most probably from contemporary published sources, by the donors of the Slifer-Walls Collection, Dorothy Walls McCormick and John Abbet Walls. The middle name of John Abbet Walls is spelled differently than that of the derivative family name "Abbot." John Walls was not christened with a formal middle name. As a young man wishing to add a traditional family name, he chose to use a much earlier version of the spelling.
Reasonable efforts have been made to transcribe accurately autograph documents, to correct scanning errors in full-text digital reproductions of published works, and to resolve factual discrepancies in primary and secondary sources. Photographic images and facsimiles of original documents have been adjusted for clarity, size, and color.
INFORMATION ON COPYRIGHT
Resources on this web site, including all digital images, are covered by the U. S. Copyright Law. Bucknell University's intellectual rights, which include the creative work produced by the compilers of the web site, are protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. These materials may be reproduced in accordance with fair use that permits reproduction of single copies of copyrighted material for educational or personal use. Redistribution or republication in any medium requires consent. For further information on copyright:
U.S.
Copyright Office
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/circs/circ1.html
Information Policy: Copyright/Intellectual Property http://www.ifla.org/II/cpyright.htm
EDUCATIONAL USAGE
This web site is intended to advance research and serve as a basis for educational projects. The web site may be used freely by faculty and students for classroom activities in accordance with pertinent copyright provisions for educational use.
INFORMATION FOR OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCHERS
The primary mission of Special Collections/University Archives is to serve the administration, faculty, students, and alumni of Bucknell University, and scholars conducting research for academic purposes. With extremely high use by university patrons, and no staff person specifically assigned to answer off-campus reference questions other than those from scholars, a rather lengthy delay may occur between receipt of an inquiry and the departmental response.
We ask authors publishing works based on sources in our repository to use this preferred form of acknowledgement: Courtesy of Special Collections/University Archives, The Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library, Bucknell University. It is expected that a courtesy copy of the publication will be forwarded to the library.
RESEARCH FEES
There is a charge for responses to off-campus inquiries other than those from scholars. As time permits, department staff will conduct research at a fee of $35 per hour (charges for photocopies and digital photographic reproductions are billed separately). While staff will make every effort to conduct a thorough search, the Bertrand Library cannot guarantee that all information can be located. To request departmental research, send a completed copy of the Request for Research form, along with prepayment, to the address below. Please make checks payable to Bucknell University.
REQUEST FOR RESEARCH
Name: __________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________
Phone:
_____________________________
E-mail: _____________________________
Institutional
Affiliation/Academic Status: _______________________
Commercial Status: _______________________________________
Personal Interest: _________________________________________
Specific Research Inquiry:
Send
to: Doris Dysinger, Curator
Special
Collections/University Archives
Lower
Level 1, The Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library
Bucknell
University Lewisburg, PA 17837
INFORMATION
ON THE LIBRARY'S POLICY FOR
REPRODUCTION
OF MATERIALS
Permission to reproduce materials does not constitute permission to publish. Factors such as copyright, donor restrictions, and physical condition may affect requests for copies. Some published works, unpublished manuscripts, graphics, and recordings cannot be reproduced in their entirety without written permission of the copyright holder on file in the department.
REPRODUCTION OF MATERIALS FEES
Photocopying charges for non-profit purposes are $10.00 for the first 20 pages, and $.75 for each additional page. Fees for commercial enterprises are $20.00 for the first 20 pages, and $1.50 for each additional page. For non-profit purposes, the digital photographic fee for an 8 1/2"x11" scan is $22.00. The cost of producing a negative is an additional $11.00. For commercial enterprises, the fee for an 8 1/2"x11" scan is $44.00. The cost of producing a negative is $22.00.
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Project
Director Nancy Dagle
Associate
Director Library and Information Services
Project
Coordinator, Editor Doris Dysinger
Curator
of Special Collections/ University Archives
Technical
Coordinator Glenn Himes
Humanities
Instructional Technology Specialist
Web
Designer Charles Ormsbee
Librarian/Information
Specialist
Media
Resources
(c) Bucknell University 2000. All rights reserved. These materials may be reproduced in accordance with the U.S. Copyright Law provisions for fair use. Redistribution or republication in any medium requires consent
Born on October 11, 1903, in Middleburg, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Waldo and Mary Kathryn Musser Moyer, Edna Moyer grew up on the family farm in Montandon, a small community across the river from Lewisburg. She attended school in Montandon until 1919 when students wishing to complete their secondary education transferred to the Lewisburg High School. Edna Moyer earned her diploma there in 1920.
She taught in local schools before joining the Union National Bank of Lewisburg as a clerk in 1926, and marrying Lake T. Sheary in 1934. Mrs. Sheary was the first woman employed as a bank cashier, and in 1970, was elected vice-president and trust officer. In the 105 years of the bank's history, she was the first woman to hold that position. She retired in 1972 with over forty-five years of service.
Edna Sheary was a member of the National Association of Bank Women, the Business and Professional Women's Association of Lewisburg, and the Order of Eastern Star, Chapter 394, of Lewisburg. She and her husband were married at the Christ Lutheran Church of Lewisburg where Mrs. Sheary was a faithful member of the congregation. She taught a Sunday School class for over fifty years that was later named in her honor. Edna M. Sheary died on May 31, 1991. Through her generosity, the Charitable Trust was established to support projects of non-profit organizations for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes.
