Two longtime pillars of the Havre de Grace community were honored by the Harford County Council on Tuesday as Harford Living Treasures.
Madelyn Shank, 87, and her brother, R. Madison "Mitch" Mitchell Jr., 81, were nominated by another Havre de Grace leader and new county councilman, Pat Vincenti.
"I don't know of any other people that are any more deserving than these two, based on the volunteer time that they have given to the community and, apparently, the country," Vincenti told Shank, Mitchell and their families gathered in the council chambers.
Shank, a Havre de Grace native, was one of the first women in Maryland to get a funeral director's license in 1950, a role she held for 50 years.
Although "you might say that it is funny for someone to say they enjoyed working at a funeral home," Shank fondly recalled her time there.
"I think one of the best things that ever happened to me was working with my father at the funeral home," she said.
She was also one of the first women to serve on the ruling body of the city's First Presbyterian Church. Shank married Ellsworth B. Shank in 1953 and had two sons, Mitch and Andy, as well as three grandchildren.
Shank helped found the city's Soroptimist International group, organized and co-chaired the Candlelight Tour and served as volunteer coordinator of the annual Decoy Festival for 28 years.
She has also served on the board of directors of the Lock House Museum and was appointed to the volunteer board of the R. Madison Mitchell Endowment Trust, which has raised more than $1 million to benefit the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum.
Her younger brother, R. Madison Mitchell Jr., better known as "Mitch" or "Brother," was the county's chief building inspector for 32 years, retiring in 1999. He has been a Mason and a Master Mason, and he will be honored by the Havre de Grace Lodge this summer for 50 years of service.
He served as a corpsman in the Army and was stationed in Paris, where his first child, Robert "Rob" Mitchell III, was born. After returning to the U.S., he formed Mitchell Builders.
Mitchell is an avid builder of model railroads and has made many models of city landmarks. He has also traveled to 48 states on his motorcycle, served as a Boy Scout leader, donated countless etchings to local organizations, served as chairman of the board of directors at St. John's Towers and serves on the board of directors for the Chesapeake Heritage Conservancy.
After receiving the award, Mitchell said working with the Harford County government was one of the best periods of his life.
"Harford County is in a beautiful shape right now," he said, thanking the council for the recognition.
Shank also said about being recognized as Harford Living Treasure: "It is a pleasure, there is no doubt about it. It's an honor."