Staff photo / Bob Coupland ... Leone Crowley, who was a librarian for the main Youngstown Public Library and the Boardman and Canfield branches, celebrated her 105th birthday Sunday at a family reunion with her seven children at Boardman Park. She also has 16 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren with one more on the way in early 2024. woman and seven children Leone Crowley, center, who lived in the Youngstown area for many years and worked as a librarian for the Youngstown Public Library, celebrated her 105th birthday Sunday at Boardman Township Park with her seven children and their families. Front row, from left, are Kevin Crowley of Austintown, Leone Crowley now of Elyria and Tim Crowley of Columbus. Second row, from left, are Kathy Schreiber of Elyria, Sheila Crowley of Northfield, Minnesota, and Anne Crowley of Shelburne, Vermont. Back row, from left, are Greg Crowley of Troutman, North Carolina, and Brian Crowley of El Segundo, California.

BOARDMAN — Leone Crowley said her children always have been her blessing, and she marked her 105th birthday as her seven sons and daughters and their families gathered at Boardman Park to celebrate the important milestone.

The family, most from out of state, gathered Sunday at an indoor, air-conditioned pavilion at the park where cards and decorations celebrated Crowley’s birthday.

Crowley said she has always just kept going, raising her seven children after her husband Henry died in 1965. She had worked as a librarian for the Youngstown Public Library and later Canfield Public Library, from where she retired.

Her seven children, which includes four sons and three daughters, gathered for the family reunion. The children are Kevin Crowley of Austintown; Tim Crowley of Columbus; Brian Crowley of El Segundo, California; Greg Crowley of Troutman, North Carolina; Kathy Schreiber of Elyria; Sheila Crowley of Northfield, Minnesota; and Anne Crowley of Shelborn, Vermont.

Kathy Schreiber said the children lost their father in 1965 at age 59 when the oldest child Kevin was 18 and the youngest Anne was 8.

Crowley said she was blessed with wonderful children who all went to college and now work across the country.

Crowley herself earned a bachelor’s degree as a teacher and master’s degree as a librarian. After she graduated from the University of Wisconsin, it was the end of the Depression and she chose to work as a librarian in Youngstown.

Born in Milwaukee on Sept. 4, 1918, she moved to the Youngstown area in 1943 and worked first as a librarian at the East Branch Library in Youngstown for $40 per month and then the public library when she was single. She also worked at the library’s hospital library service.

She then married her husband in June 1946, and they had seven children, starting in 1947. Crowley said she was not allowed to work while she was pregnant over a nine-year period.

“All my children were very good and took care of each other. I always encouraged them when they were getting jobs to get an education and not stay in one place. They are working in different places. I have always been fortunate to have such excellent children,” Crowley said.

Crowley returned to being a librarian part-time in 1963 and then became full-time from 1966 to 1984. She retired from the Canfield Library Branch. After she retired, Crowley would fill in as a substitute librarian when needed.

“I always liked helping people find the books and materials they were looking for. I met so many wonderful people over the years,” she said.

In addition to her seven children, Crowley has 16 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren with one on the way in early 2024.

“I am delighted and amazed so many of them are here,” Crowley said.

When she had vacation time, she would travel to Europe and has been to every country except Romania and Bulgaria.

Crowley would take her vacation time when she was a librarian and travel to see sites she had heard about from others.

Kevin Crowley said his mother was always “exceptionally well organized.”

“When we were kids we had a chore chart and listed the things each of us had to do. We always did them because mom put them on the chart,” he said.

Kevin Crowley said his mother is also “exceptionally disciplined about taking her medications” at breakfast, lunch and dinner. He said his mom would have one cookie for dessert and always has eaten healthy, as did her children.

He said he remembers after his father died, his mother told her children that all of them would get a college education.

“And that is exactly what happened.” he said, noting each sibling went to a different college or university.

Kevin said he was amazed how his mother on a librarian’s salary helped put her children through college.

Kathy Schreiber said one of her mother’s favorite lines was “Being smart depends on knowing things but also knowing where to look them up.”

Schreiber said she and her siblings followed that advice as they became educated and worked in their various career fields.

Crowley, who now resides in Elyria, said she was glad to be back in the Youngstown area where she had lived and worked for many years.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com