Bonnie Ulrey Kreider grew up loving to read and that strong attraction continued through her childhood.
After she married Bob Kreider at the Servia United Church of Christ her insatiable passion for books came to fruition. Kreider and a church friend constructed two large bookshelves in the church entryway, and Mrs. Kreider and others donated many, many books and their dream of a church library was fulfilled.
Working in the libraries at the Central and Chester elementary schools in North Manchester gave her the knowledge to manage a library, so she definitely knew what needed to be done.
Mrs. Kreider speaks with pride when she tells people that she reads every book that is given to the church library and says there was only one that she couldn’t accept “because of the bad words.”
In the 1980s and early ‘90s the United Church of Christ created reading lists for its churches, and she readily shared this information with members of the congregation. The church provided funds to purchase books on the lists. Members who read the qualified number each year were recognized with a small gift for their accomplishment. The Servia church frequently encompassed more readers than any other church in the Indiana UCC Conference, due in part to Bonnie’s perseverance in encouraging members to get involved.
In 2006, the Servia United Church of Christ merged with St. John’s UCC and the New Hope Church was formed. The Servia church collection was downsized and moved to the church in Bippus with Mrs. Kreider remaining as librarian. Every Sunday she can be seen straightening and re-shelving the books. Always creative, she even added jigsaw puzzles to the library which could be checked out.
Recently, some members felt the collection needed to be in a more prominent location in the church, so the library was moved to the fellowship hall. The new, much larger area is being called “Bonnie’s Library Nook” and, as before, that’s the first place Mrs. Kreider heads when she arrives at church.
Now 91, she is still a voracious reader of both books and newspapers. Her husband says she keeps him busy going to the recycling bin with all the newspapers she goes through each week.