2010 News
Margaret
Dunning turns 100
In Margaret Dunning’s 100 years, modes
of transportation evolved from horse and buggy to automobile to space travel;
the communication revolution progressed from telegraph to mobile phone; and
photography blossomed from the Kodak Brownie camera to instant digital images.
Margaret will celebrate her centennial birthday Saturday, June 26, with several
events at the Plymouth Historical Museum, which was built with her donations.
When Margaret leaves her driveway on Church Street in Plymouth at 11:45
a.m., friends and neighbors line the street to cheer and sing “Happy Birthday”
as she makes her way down the street to the Museum. At noon, WDIV reporter Roger
Weber will emcee the lineup of tributes planned for the Plymouth community
philanthropist. At 1 p.m., Margaret will cut the ribbon to open the Plymouth
Historical Museum’s new special exhibit, “Margaret’s 1910.”
The
Museum will hold an open house from 1-4 p.m. on both June 26 and 27 that
includes free admission, refreshments, and entertainment. Margaret will be
present both days during the open house to greet well-wishers. On Saturday,
Harmony 4 Fun will serenade visitors from 1-3 p.m. The group is a female
barbershop-style a cappella quartet that has been singing together since
1990. On Sunday, entertainment will be provided by the folk and gospel group
Four-hearted River, led by Matt Allen of Dearborn Jewelers in Plymouth.
Refreshments are being donated by Jeff Zak Catering, the Courthouse Grill, and
Independence Village, all of Plymouth.
Also on June 26, Church Street adjacent to the Museum will be closed between
Main and Union Streets for a classic car show, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Margaret has been
a car aficionado for much of her life and still belongs to several classic car
clubs, which will be represented at the show.
The special exhibit “Margaret’s 1910” will open on June 26 and will run through
October 24. The exhibit highlights the Plymouth community, as well as southeast
Michigan, in the year that Margaret was born. Photos and mannequins bring
prominent Plymouth residents to life in the years before the advent of World War
I. In addition, the exhibit takes a sentimental journey through Margaret
Dunning’s 100 years, showcasing antique furniture and household items used by
Margaret’s parents and her ancestors.
Margaret Dunning was born June 26, 1910, in Redford, Michigan, to Charles and
Bessie (Rattenbury) Dunning. She spent her first 13 years on a dairy and potato
farm owned by her father, located at the corner of Plymouth and Telegraph Roads
in Redford Township. After her father’s death in 1923, Bessie and Margaret
eventually moved to the Village of Plymouth into the home where Margaret still
resides. Much more about Margaret’s life and her philanthropic career can be
found on her Wikipedia page at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Dunning.
Margaret will also be feted at the Plymouth Community Band concert in Kellogg
Park on Thursday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will also be called
“Margaret’s 1910” and will feature music of the era.
During the Plymouth’s annual Good Morning USA Fourth of July parade, Margaret
will be the Grand Marshall and will drive her 1931 Model A Ford Pickup in the
parade.
The Plymouth Historical Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization that receives no government funding. Donations in honor of
Margaret’s 100th birthday are happily accepted either at the Museum
or can be sent to the newly established Margaret Dunning Endowment Fund at the
Community Foundation of Plymouth. The purpose of this new endowment is to
support the mission and programs of the Plymouth Historical Museum in
perpetuity. Checks for the Margaret Dunning Endowment Fund should be made
payable to the Community Foundation of Plymouth. Please specify the “Margaret
Dunning Fund” on the memo line and send to P.O. Box 700866, Plymouth, MI 48170.
In Honor of Margaret Dunning and Her 100th Birthday
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The Community Foundation Of Plymouth (CFP) Awards $2,000 Grant to the
Plymouth Historical Museum.
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The Plymouth Historical Museum establishes a new endowment fund at the
Community Foundation of Plymouth.
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CFP’s Advisory Committee presents Margaret Dunning and Elizabeth
Kerstens, Executive Director of the Plymouth Historical Museum with the
grant award to the Museum in the entrance to the Dunning-Hough Library.
Pictured with Ms. Dunning and Ms. Kerstens are:
Front Row: Jim McKeon, Jeanne Baldwin, Karen O’Keefe and Walt Menard.
Back Row: Fran Toney, Julie Howell Romein, Penny K. Joy, Jim Jabarra,
Bill Lawson, Bill Lawton, Jim Vermeulen, Jr., and Dan Herriman. |
In honor of Margaret Dunning’s 100th birthday and long-standing commitment to
the Plymouth Community, the Community Foundation of Plymouth (CFP) has awarded a
$2,000 grant to the Plymouth Historical Museum.
Margaret Dunning’s generous philanthropic support and guidance over the years
has been instrumental in helping to build and expand the Plymouth Historical
Museum. The Community Foundation of Plymouth felt it fitting to present its own
gift to the Museum in honor of Ms. Dunning’s 100th birthday and in recognition
of her commitment to this valuable community resource. CFP’s grant will allow
the Museum to finish decorating the Sanford Burr Meeting Room. Eight historical
photos from Plymouth’s past will be enlarged and mounted around the room to
complement the large mural of Plymouth’s downtown on July 4, 1909.
Also - the Plymouth Historical Museum has established a new endowment fund in
Margaret Dunning’ s honor that will provide for the Museum in perpetuity. The
Margaret Dunning Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation of Plymouth will
provide for the Plymouth Historical Museum’s future – For good. For ever.
Margaret Dunning was born June 26, 1910, in Redford, Michigan, to Charles and
Bessie Dunning. She spent her first 13 years on a dairy and potato farm located
at the corner of Plymouth and Telegraph Roads in Redford Township. After her
father’s death in 1923, Margaret and her mother moved to the Village of Plymouth
– to the home where Margaret still resides.
Ms. Dunning's largest impact on the Plymouth community has been through her
volunteer service and philanthropic support – most notably in helping to
establish the Plymouth District Library, helping to build and expand the
Plymouth Historical Museum, and serving on the Board of Directors of the
Community Federal Credit Union in Plymouth (now Community Financial).
Margaret Dunning and her mother started what is now the Plymouth District
Library when, in 1947, they purchased property to house the Plymouth branch of
the Wayne County Library System. Today the Library is housed in the
Dunning-Hough Library.
In 1971, Margaret Dunning donated more than $100,000 to the Plymouth
Historical Society to help build a museum facility to house Plymouth’s
historical artifacts. In 1998, Ms. Dunning gifted $1 million to support the
Plymouth Historical Museum’s 9,800 square foot addition intended to house a
sizeable collection of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia. Ms. Dunning is a permanent
member of the Plymouth Historical Society's Board of Directors.
Ms. Dunning has served on the Board of Directors of the Community Federal
Credit Union in Plymouth (now Community Financial) for 23 years – 19 years as
Board President. During her tenure, the Credit Union increased its assets from
$1 million to $40 million and expanded from one to six offices. In 1989, the
Credit Union established the Margaret Dunning Scholarship Fund to recognize her
long-standing volunteer service – and to provide scholarships to outstanding
credit union members who demonstrate high honors in school while contributing to
their community. The Scholarship Fund’s assets were transferred to the Community
Foundation of Plymouth in 2008. Now known as the Community Financial Scholarship
Fund, the fund awards $11,000 in scholarships to local students each year.
In accepting CFP’s gift to the Plymouth Historical Museum, Ms. Dunning’s
humor came through:
“I’m honored to accept this gift for the Museum, and am grateful for all you do
for the Plymouth community. I’m also quite delighted to see that the check has a
few zeroes.”
From Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, the Plymouth Historical Museum’s Executive
Director:
“We deeply appreciate the Community Foundation of Plymouth’s gift in honor of
Margaret Dunning and her 100th birthday. The gift will allow us to complete our
vision for the Museum’s Sanford Burr Meeting Room. The Margaret Dunning
Endowment Fund will provide another safeguard for a sustainable future for the
Plymouth Historical Museum. With the community’s support, the Fund will grow,
which in turn will ensure the Museum can continue to flourish and grow – to
provide a stable historical foundation for future generations.”
***
Established in 2005, The Community Foundation of Plymouth is dedicated to
building a permanent endowment to enrich the quality of life in the greater
Plymouth area. Each year, CFP’s Advisory committee recommends grants to
nonprofit organizations serving the greater Plymouth area. Grants are made
possible by donors who contribute to CFP’s endowment and want to ensure that
their charitable dollars will have a positive impact in Plymouth – For good. For
ever.
For more information, please visit
www.aaacf.org/cfp.asp.
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