The Friends of the Brown County Library is more than just an organization. It is exactly what the name implies; volunteer Friends who care enough about the success of the Library that they choose to contribute their time to make our programs and activities possible. Some, like our Board of Directors and our program leaders, may be more visible to our members, while others work behind the scenes for many years with little fanfare but are no less vital to our success.  We regret to report the passing recently of two of those notable long-time Friends volunteers, Anita Powers (age 99) and Ginney Amen (age 103).

For Anita, the Library had always been a home away from home. She worked at the Kellogg Public Library in her 20s, and while she left for a stint in the U.S. Naval Reserve and then to raise a family, the Library, and its opportunities for lifelong learning, was always a part of her life. She volunteered for the Friends Book Sale for more than 20 years, as a cashier at the sale and as a book sorter between the sales. One of her legacies is that at a recent sale, four generations of her family worked the sale as cashiers, organizers, and runners. In her later years, she expressed a wish to be buried with her library card!

Ginney never had time to sit still. In addition to her regular work for the Library and our Book Sales, she also volunteered for many local organizations, including Unity Hospice, Ashwaubenon Historical Society, Unity Hospice, Hazelwood Historic House Museum, the Green Bay Botanical Garden, the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, and as a Reading Buddy at Tank School.

"In 2018, the Friends recognized both Anita and Ginney (along with Millie Kappel and Rosmary Michalec), all in their 90s at the time, as our 2017 Volunteers of the Year. Everyone who worked with them was motivated by their hard work, embarrassed by their energy, and inspired by their years of commitment to the Friends. Our Book Sales will not be the same without Anita and Ginney - they will certainly be missed.