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IN LOVING MEMORY ... Ella M. Haver, longtime resident of Hunterdon County, passed away on March 1, 2017, at the age of 104.
IN LOVING MEMORY ... Ella M. Haver, longtime resident of Hunterdon County, passed away on March 1, 2017, at the age of 104.
Miss Haver, educator and civic leader, was born in Franklin Township on February 21, 1913. Her family before her settled in Hunterdon County dating back to 1776, farming its land. But this is not what makes Ella Haver an institution in these parts.
Since graduating from Montclair State Teachers College in 1934, and later from Columbia University in 1945, she has dedicated her life to educating others. She was a NJ Science Teacher from 1935 to 1971. She then became the President of the Jennie M. Haver Scholarship Fund in 1971. She followed in the footsteps of her Aunt Jennie, a pioneer in rural education at the turn of the century, and in whose name the Scholarship Fund was created in 1956. This home grown private scholarship fund has given back to the community a total of $1,488,150 awarded to 498 students. Each year this Fund has uniquely assembled the best and brightest talent from all 5 Hunterdon County Regional High Schools to stage an annual entertainment event and Revue to help raise awareness and encourage the community to help those who need assistance to pursue a college education.
Happy 103rd Birthday to Ella M. Haver (photo courtesy of Colleen Cheney)
Ella Haver is a joiner, a doer, and a go-getter and has accumulated a lifetime of community oriented achievements, most of them spanning an unbroken 40 years or more. In addition to being a member in most NJ Education Associations, she served as a Board Member of the Crossroads Christian Academy, and a Children’s Bible teacher at local churches. She was an advocate for the Red Cross chapters locally. She enjoyed her volunteer efforts with Senior Citizens serving as Franklin Township’s Senior Coordinator, and it’s Chairman of the Recreation Committee. She put her math training to use as an active volunteer for the Income Tax Assistance Program. She loved Hunterdon County and helped to preserve its rich past as President and Trustee for the Riverside Cemetery in Clinton and Treasurer and Trustee for the Union Cemetery Association of Grandin. She was a member of the NJ State Chrysanthemum Society entering countless prize Mums into competition and bringing home many blue ribbons.
She has often been recognized for her efforts. She is in the list of “Notable Women of Hunterdon” by the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission in 1995, 2000, and 2004. She earned the Hiram Deats Award, a Montclair State University “That’s Life” award, and received the Red Mill Guardian of History Award. She holds multiple citations from local groups, the state legislature, and a Special U.S. Congressional Recognition award. And this is just the short list.
Her awards are too numerous to list, but the reward she covets most comes from Matthew 25:21 "Well done good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler of many things". Her story affirms the American spirit and embodies the truest meaning of hope and possibility. Her life and work provides a guidepost of goodwill for our future and for our children and remind all of us of what the human spirit can achieve if our eyes remain fixed on our greatest potential.
After 60 years of growth and giving, the Jennie M. Haver Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded their final scholarships in 2016. To ensure that the mission and spirit lives on, the Fund's Board of Trustees elected to donate the remaining proceeds to HCVSD's Education Foundation, Inc. as a supporting partner. Ella Haver's efforts will be recognized in perpetuity through the HCVSD Education Foundation, actively serving the residents of Hunterdon county.
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