Celebrating the Life of Peggy Parish on July 12

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It's a Party, Amelia Bedelia! On July 12, the Harvin Clarendon Library will celebrate the birthday of Clarendon’s own Peggy Parish. Parish was born in Manning and became known for her children’s book series ‘Amelia Bedelia’. The series focuses on the main character,Amelia Bedelia, who is known for her enduring personality yet literal minded interpretation of things. Amelia is a cook and sometimes servant, both jobs that Parish held at one point in her lifetime. Although Amelia causes great mishaps for the family that she is employed by, her delicious cooking is just too much for them to let her go, so they continue to keep her employed. Parish’s beloved character became a household name for anyone with small children, authoring over thirty books and selling millions of copies at the time of her death in 1988.

Beginning in 2013, the Harvin Clarendon Library hosts an annual birthday celebration in memory and honor of Peggy Parish, whose actual birthday is July 14th. The library has story time, craft time and birthday cupcakes to celebrate the occasion. Two books written by Peggy Parish are read aloud to the birthday party attendees, followed by a celebration with crafts and display of stepping stones and flowers.

We use this as an opportunity to celebrate and educate others about the life of Peggy Parish and her contributions to society,” said Carrie Trebil, Special Projects Coordinator for the city of Manning. “The event has grown since 2013 and we hope that it will continue to grow in the future years.” Librarian Charlotte Johnston smiled as she spoke about the event. “ We love being able to celebrate Peggy Parish’s birthday with the community at the library,” said Johnston. “People of all ages come to this event to celebrate her wonderful stories and the joy that they continue to provide to the children.” Outside of the library stands a statue of Parrish’s beloved character, Amelia Bedelia, to serve as a reminder of what Peggy Parish means to Clarendon County. Her birthday celebration will begin at 10:30 am and is open to the public. For additional information please call 803-435-8633.