Bessie Barber was a lifelong resident of Eddystone, she was born and died in the same house located at the corner of 13th Street and Leiper Street. Bessie served as the Borough’s tax collector for many years. She was one of the founding members of the Ladies Auxiliary for the Eddystone Volunteer Fire Department, which started in the early 1900s. She also belonged to the Ladies Auxiliaries for both the American Legion Post 844 and the Veterans of Foreign War Post 7949. Bessie began an annual toy give-away program at Christmas, a tradition that continues today. She also self-financed an annual Ice Cream Social for all the children, which became a Fourth of July tradition.
Dorothy Taylor Gotthardt was a beloved figure in Eddystone, where she was a teacher and principal at Eddystone Elementary School for over 40 years. Dorothy was the inspiration behind our current Summer Camp, she hosted craft events for the children while school was on break. She was also a volunteer at Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park for 21 years, donating over 21,000 hours of her time. To this day, she is still recognized by Taylor Hospital as the volunteer that has donated the most hours.
Nancy Scott Cowan was an important part of the Eddystone Borough community. Nancy was a stay at home mom and raised her three children; Kim, Scott and Mark. Nancy was very involved with the Home and School and spent most of her life volunteering at Eddystone Elementary School. Nancy also was a member of the Eddystone Boys Club where she volunteered her time for all community activities such as the gift give away at Christmas, the Annual Easter Egg Hunt and numerous basketball tournaments. Nancy loved the Borough of Eddystone and often sang her class song, “Eddystone Forever.” Nancy is greatly missed by her family and community.
