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Shirley Luther honored with Town Board proclamation

by jmaloni

•Taken from the Oct. 10 Island Dispatch

Thu, Oct 16th 2014 04:35 pm

Oct. 15 was proclaimed Shirley Luther Day in the Town of Grand Island by the Town Board Monday.

During its regular meeting at Town Hall, the board issued the proclamation for the lifelong town resident, born Oct. 15, 1924, and wished her a happy 90th birthday.

In making the proclamation, the board noted Luther "selflessly serves the Grand Island community, and has for many years."

As a teenager, the then Shirley Kreger organized and edited The Islander, a monthly newspaper published from 1943-45 and sent to more than 150 Grand Islanders serving in World War II.

Luther later served on many civic organizations. She served on the Historic Trinity Committee that has worked to save and then fund continuing repair and maintenance of the church; as a member and secretary of the Grand Island Historical Society; a member of the Friends of the Grand Island Memorial Library; as co-chair of the Veterans' Memorial Wall Committee that planned and had built the memorial in Veterans Park at the entrance on Bedell Road; a 38-year member and secretary of the Neighbors Foundation; a member of the town's Historic Preservation Advisory Board; and creator of the Wall of Supervisors in the lower lobby of Town Hall, that contains framed photographs of the town's past supervisors, including her great-grandfather, Joachim Long, and grandfather, Henry W. Long.

She was the wife of the late Town Supervisor LaVerne "Bunny" Luther and a mother of four children. She is a Gold Star mother of Robert, who was killed in Vietnam on Mother's Day in 1970.

Pictured, Town Supervisor Mary Cooke presents the proclamation to Luther as Luther's daughters Nancy Sandford and daughter Carol Dunworth look on. (photo by Larry Austin)

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