Sollenberger, Harold and Ellyne Fund

Donor Fund Story:

This fund was established by Harold and Ellyne Sollenberger to support charitable organizations in the area.

Harold Sollenberger was born in Wabash, IN; Ellyne in Wooster, OH.  His family moved a lot in the early years, so Harold lived in states from Minnesota to Maryland; however, he spent most of his growing up years in northeastern Ohio.  Ellyne grew up on her family’s potato farm near Smithville, OH where both he and she graduated from high school, having met as members of the high school band.

Harold taught biology and classes of general science, botany, zoology, microbiology, genetics, anatomy, and scientific research at both Central Noble and East Noble High Schools for a total of 31.5 years.  Ellyne taught elementary first for Wabash and Lakeland Schools, then special education for the area Cooperative and East Noble Corporation for a total of 20.5 years.  Both Harold and Ellyne substituted for years after retirement.

Harold married his high school sweetheart, Ellyne, after his junior year at Manchester College.  Ellyne graduated from Bluffton College, Bluffton, OH with an elementary education degree.  They have a daughter, Tricia Denton, head of the Allen County Parkview Hospital labs(trained as an MT) and a son, Matt, a supervisor of Ryder Logistics outfit in Indianapolis.  There are five grandchildren, three girls and two boys.

Harold and Ellyne are very active in their Church of the Brethren near Auburn and they sometimes say it is a full-time job for them.  He is a keyboardist, singer, choir director, trombonist, music/worship chairman, and has taught Sunday School.  She is a singer, choir member, deacon, vice-chair of the Board, usher, and worship leader.

Both Harold and Ellyne are active in the Noble County community.  He has served 15 years as the president of the now dissolved Noble County Concert Association, replacing it with the Performing Arts Committee of the Community Learning Center.  He has led the Kendallville Lions Club twice as president and since then has been serving as public relations person.  For many years Harold was with the Noble County Retired Teachers group and served as an officer.  He entertained for 20 years with Gaslight Playhouse and served a year as president.  For 35 years Harold sang with the Harmonnaires/ Apple Chords male barbershop quartet entertaining mostly locally but sometimes around the state as well. For 35 years he has taught piano lessons for hundreds of students from 5 – 65 years of age.

Ellyne’s middle name should be “Miss Volunteer” as she has over the years involved herself in many community activities including weeding at Bixler Park, scheduling for Salvation Army bell-ringing, selling hot dogs in the park, helping Common Grace porkburger  sales, ushering at CLC, aiding at elementary schools, Parkview Hospital Auxiliary, serving on LEAP Board, being a Library Friend, registering for Light the Night, United Way Day of Caring, Power of the Purse, Concerts Ticket Sales, Cobblestone Golf Ladies, triathlon monitoring, Word Up, Wagon Wheel ushering, etc.  Kendallville Mayor Suzanne Handshoe awarded Ellyne the city Spirit Award, and both Harold and Ellyne were named Kendallville 2020 Citizens of the Year.

Noble County is appealing to Harold and Ellyne because of its size, population, and socioeconomic makeup. They have always been amazed that Kendallville, for example, having just  10,000 people, can still have a YMCA, many area lakes, a terrific sports complex, nature trails, community learning center, concert series, Gaslight Theater, a movie theater, other recreational facilities, county financial foundations, three good school corporations, tremendous scholarship opportunities for college education, friends and acquaintances.   They say, “We are glad to be part of it all!”

Harold’s life motto is to “do your best” and “get along with others” while Ellyne’s paraphrased motto might be “give of yourself for the sake of others”.