BROOKVILLE — Christena Leiber passed away at the age of 94 in February 1993. She touched the lives of many. Only her love for her family and for music surpassed her feelings for the Brookville Community.

Christena was born on May 9, 1898 in Clay Township near Brookville. Her love of music began when her Father acquired a piano for her. For a time she rode the Dayton & Northern Traction line cars to Dayton to take piano lessons. She later gave lessons. Her first recital was given in September 1915. She also used the traction line to attend school in Brookville.

On August 16, 1916 she married Edd Leiber and they resided for a time on the Upper-Lewisburg Road near Lewisburg. They continued to reside in the Lewisburg and Clay township area until 1936.

At that time, Edd and Christena and their three children, moved to Brookville to operate a grocery store at 419 N. Market St. During the depression years, Christena had supplemented the family income by hanging wallpaper for others.

When early supermarkets came about, the Leibers closed the grocery store and opened the Leiber Wallpaper and Paint Store at the same location, which they operated for over 40 years.

In 1952, using inheritance funds from her father’s estate, she undertook to remodel and improve the recreation building at Golden Gate Park. The building was then named the Christena Leiber Senior Citizens Center in 1983 and is still in use.

In 1973, the Brookville Historical Society undertook the project to save the Samuel Spitler House and wanted to open it as a Community Museum in order to preserve area items and family history. The fund drive was started, and the spark that really got the drive going was Christena donating funds for a room in the Spitler House in memory of her parents.

In the early 1970s, the idea for a nursing home in Brookville came from the Community Improvement Corporation. The group, Brookville Enterprise was formed to work on this idea.

Christena Leiber was one of the early financial supporters of this project as she believed a nursing home would be a good asset for Brookville. The project succeeded and today is known as the Brookhaven Retirement Community.

Mrs. Leiber led a very active life and was involved in various organizations as well as her church. She was a longtime member of the Clayton and Lewisburg Granges, Brookville Chamber of Commerce, Order of Eastern Star No. 526, Delta Theta Tau Sorority and the Brookville Historical Society.

All information and the photo for this Look at Brookville article were supplied by the Brookville Historical Society. Do you have a photo or historical information to share or add? Please contact the Brookville Historical Society at 937-833-0285 or email to [email protected].