DeKalb County Community Foundation creates Cortland library fund

SYCAMORE – The DeKalb County Community Foundation announced the creation of the Cortland Community Library Endowment Fund.

The fund will annually support the needs of the Cortland Community Library, according to a news release.

The library opened at its original location in 1984. It moved into Cortland Town Hall for eight years and then relocated to its current location in 1993.

The fund was created by Barbara Coward in honor of her cousins, Wayne and William McWhinney. The McWhinneys were Korean War veterans, according to the news release.

William became a Chicago police officer and a Cook County Sheriff’s deputy after the war. Wayne worked as a Chicago public school teacher for five years before moving to Florida.

After the McWhinneys died, Coward inherited a monetary gift, which was used to create the fund.

Coward began volunteering for the library in 1984. She became the library’s director and sole employee in 1996. She retired in June 2020.

To donate to any fund at the DeKalb County Community Foundation, visit dekalbccf.org/donate or send via mail to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore.

For information, call 815-748-5383 or email dan@dekalbccf.org.