A Glance at the Past with an Eye to the Future

In 2011 The Markert Memorial Rose Garden in Library Park was dedicated in memory of Norbert and Irma Markert, enthusiastic community contributors and superlative gardeners. For twelve years this lovely garden of roses has graced Library Park along with the Mirror Gardens and shrub border across the back of the library which the Markerts envisioned and then turned that vision into reality.

Today the fund established to maintain this memorial has at last been used up. A few of the members of the original committee that established the memorial have met again to consider how best to maintain this lovely rose garden. We are asking all those, both individuals and organizations, that contributed once before to consider doing so again so that an endowment can be established for the ongoing care of the roses – the flowers Irma and Norb loved the most. We are off to a good start with a few generous donations amounting to $2,000. It is our hope to triple this amount and provide for the upkeep of the Markert Memorial.

The fund established in 2011 for the care and maintenance of the Markert Memorial was given to the Ogdensburg Public Library to administer. The library has done well to make these funds last as long as they have. With the recent loss of significant local government funding, the library now does its best to serve the community with a budget that is $200,000+ less than it had 10 years ago. Thanks to the wisdom and generosity of the citizens of Ogdensburg the library does have enough money to keep the doors open. However, adding the cost of maintaining the entire park for the first time ever while dealing with these budget constraints presents enormous challenges and the library needs our help. Providing a permanent source of funding for the Markert Memorial will make at least a small difference in meeting this challenge and will help ensure that Library Park will remain a beautiful, peaceful and inviting spot for all to share.

To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Markert Memorial Fund, checks can be sent to the Ogdensburg Public Library with a notation that they are intended for this Fund. For more information contact Lin Griffin [email protected] (315)393-5202 or Penny Kerfien, Library Director at (315)393-4325, [email protected].