Sadie

Monday the 19th of May 2008 our sweet companion of 13 years died. Sadie, the library cat, was a quiet but friendly cat who was dearly loved by the children of the town and much visited by children and adults alike who brought her treats and made special trips downstairs to see her each library visit. Her passing leaves library staff, Margo Valone, Bobbin Young, Rochelle Wildfong and Lisa Wenner as well as the library’s many volunteers very sad.

A small memorial display with a memory book holding a page for each of her many friends and acquaintances to draw a picture, leave a wish, a remembrance, a special memory or one good thing about her will be out on the table near the circulation desk with pens and crayons.

For twelve of her thirteen years she lived in the Meekins Library, originally coming to stay to help discourage mice that had moved into the old Meekins cellar. Sadie was immortalized in the 2004 AnnTurner book Pumpkin Cat, the story of a stray cat that comes to live in a small town library with two librarians named Rochelle and Lisa. During the time of library construction and renovation Sadie moved to Nash Hill Rd where she lived with Charlie and Maureen Mathers for the duration of the project. While her life could be called sedentary and for many years her primary occupation has been sleeping much of the day she had a few big adventures in the wild world outside the library doors. Once at age two she was bitten by an animal of unknown origin and had to be quarantined at librarian, Rochelle Wildfong’s house. Many years later when she was getting quite old, Sadie escaped from the library and was caught in a torrential downpour of rain that lasted for many days. She sought refuge in a small barn up the river from the library and was stuck there for two weeks. She eventually escaped the barn and was found sitting by the river looking at the library. We were all happy that she returned.

Sadie was buried on Saturday May 24, 2008 at the Meekins Library. While by nature a shy cat, she lived a public life and the public was invited to come say good-bye to her at that time.