Patron gives Library $20k donation

By Reader Staff

Lynn Hayes, outreach services coordinator for the East Bonner County Library District has been visiting Mary Zindler at The Bridge Assisted Living Community since 1999. Like it is with so many of the home and facility-bound patrons Lynn has befriended, Mary enjoyed the personal attention and the books and movies that Lynn hand-picked for her.

“I’d collect things, new releases, things I knew she liked. Most of the time, I got it right, but sometimes she’d say, ‘I’m not going to read that!’” Lynn said.

Mary was always a very social person, but in recent years, her hearing failed. Lynn’s visits were always encouraging because they knew each other so well.

“She would get tickled about something, and we’d just look at each other and knew what we meant,” Lynn said.

Mary and Lynn shared a common bond as orphans, and both were lovingly adopted as children. Mary never had children, a decision she came to regret later, saying that it would have been nice to have a family who came to visit her.

Lynn was deeply saddened by Mary’s passing in January at 92 years of age. Her sadness was eclipsed by shock when she recently learned about the generous gift that Mary gave to the library, demonstrating the value of Lynn’s visits and the library’s dedication to life-long learning—no matter where a person lives.

“It’s not the money—I didn’t even know she had any—it just feels so good to know you touched someone’s life,” Lynn said. “Giving people [in that situation] something to do gives value to their lives.”