Waggener High School - RingBrothersHistory.com

The Voice-Jeffersonian, April 9, 1970:A Library In Memory Of A Flier, by Sudie MoseleyThe Sidney Eline Memorial Library may look, like an average place, but in at least one respect, its appearance is most deceiving.It is completely unique. In fact, says C. R. Graham, director of the Louisville Free Public Library, “I don’t know of anotherone like it in the entire country.”What sets this branch of the Louisville Free public Library apart from all the rest is that the building at 4210 Church Wayand its contents are under separate management. “All I do is pay the (librarians’) salaries, buy the books and run the library,”Graham said. All problems, dealing with the building itself — such as repairs, expansion, insurance, etc.- come underthe Jurisdiction of the St. Matthews Eline Library Board of Managers, a special citizens committee, now headed byGeorge B. Walker.This unique arrangement came about ay a meeting of the St. Matthews Library Committee March 13, 1958, when accordingto Walker, residents of the area felt that St. Matthews had outgrown the two-room lending library in a residence at thecorner of St. Matthews Avenue and Westport Road. The committee wanted larger facilities.At that time, says Graham, the Louisville Free Public Library did not have available funds to construct a new building forSt. Matthews. The library, however, was more than willing to provide the books and personnel needed for such a facility ifa structure could be built with private funds.Do-or die effort: The funds were raised in what amounted to a colossal case of do-or-die team-work. Virtually every civicand social club in St. Matthews did everything from ringing doorbells to dialing telephones in the quest for the $64,000.needed to construct the building that now stands on land donated by the late A. J. Eline. His only request was that the librarybe named for his son, Sidney Eline, an Army lieutenant killed in World War II.Sidney Eline was born March 30, 1918, the youngest of A, J. (Tony) and Elizabeth Eline’s four children. He was the hometown boy who married his Anchorage high school sweetheart (Margaret A. Jones) and settled down-- he thought-- to workfor his father in, the Eline Chevrolet Co., and to rear a family.But things didn’t quite work Out that way for the Anchorage football and basketball star — as it didn’t for a lot of youngmen who had to face up to World War II.Four months after his wedding in March, 1941, Sidney Eline was called into military service and trained to fly B-24s’ forthe 389th Bomber Group, a rugged outfit that saw, a great deal of action over Germany. In fact, Lt. Eline had flown somany missions he was scheduled to be sent home on furlough to see his newborn son when his family received, the “Weregret to inform you...” telegram from the Department of the Armyin April of 1943.Hope against hope: Missing in action over Germany, the, telegramsaid, offering a glimmer of hope to the Eline family that young Sidneymight still be alive -- a dream they clung to until, 18 monthslater, he ‘was officially declared dead.It wasn’t until months later that the family learned the details ofSidney E1ine’s death when -- from out, of the blue -- a letter arrivedfrom the only surviving member of his bombing crews” who had justbeen released from a German prisoner of war camp.“We were on our 13th mission over Germany,” the crewman wrote.“It was an overcast day and the navigator kept getting lost. We suffereda direct flak hit in the wing, and one engine and the end of thewing fell away. Immediately we went into a spin and I was thrownout at about 3,000 feet when the plane blew up.”And so it was that First Lt. Sidney Eline was killed in action April 1,1948, Just two days after his 25th birthday anniversary and threeweeks before his furlough home to see 3-months—old Sidney Eline,Jr., for the first time. Fifteen years later, October 2, 1958, groundwas broken for the library built in the young flier’s honor. It wasopened to the public March 23, 1959.Various History Articles!!