Mary Melissa Minnich Coleman of Nobleboro, Maine died on April 1, 2014. Born on October 9, 1917 in Landisville, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Lizzie Bossler and Harvey W. Minnich. Her grandfather, Simon W. Minnich, was the inventor of the Minnich baling press and founder of Minnich Machine Works, a company based in Landisville, that manufactured and shipped tobacco balers and paper balers both nationally and internationally from 1876 to 1954. In 1939 Melissa graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Architectural Engineering. While at Penn State, she won a medal from the Society of Beaux Arts Architects. After finishing college, she went to work for John Mullins in Wilmington, Delaware. In that drafting room, she met Clifford L. Coleman, whom she married on August 29, 1942.
After his return from World War II, they worked briefly in Dubois, Pennsylvania for Hunter, Caldwell, Campbell, and Ray. In 1947 they established the architectural firm of Coleman and Coleman in Landisville. Much of the firm's early work focused on the construction of schools in Lancaster County, including Hempfield High School, Penn Manor High School, Centerville Middle School, and elementary schools in Rohrerstown, Mountville, East Petersburg, and Farmdale. Other projects in Lancaster County included St. Thomas Episcopal Church, an early post-war housing development called Hickory Tree Heights, Snyder Funeral Home, a parish house for St. James Episcopal Church, Long Park Amphitheater, and a number of private residences. In 1960 they were approached by the Milton Hershey School to design a series of student homes. This initial project expanded from an original six homes to some forty-eight homes and was followed by a school building, Catherine Hall, and Founder's Hall. Other projects in Hershey included a renovation of the now- demolished Cocoa Inn, a branch bank, and the Hershey Motor Lodge.
Architecture aside, Melissa's ingenuity and creativity always combined to make it possible for her to make just about anything with her hands. Thus, it was no surprise that when, following retirement from architecture in 1975, the Colemans moved to Oxford, Maryland, she and a partner, Louisa Collier, opened The Sign of the Rudder, a craft and antique shop for which Melissa produced much of the craft work. In 1990 she moved to Nobleboro, Maine where, in concert with her daughter, she began production of a line of book structures, marketed in several galleries and under the aegis of Benoni Press. She also taught several workshops in construction of these "little books" at Round Top Center for the Arts. Always willing to volunteer within each community where she lived, Melissa willingly gave her time, knowledge, and skills to organizations as varied as the Pennsylvania chapter of The American Institute of Architects to the Lancaster Day Nursery, the Oxford Community Center, Round Top Center for the Arts, Nobleboro Historical Society, and the Skidompha Library Second Hand Bookshop, to name just a few.
Throughout her life, Melissa enjoyed traveling with her family to numerous locations both in the United States and internationally, and she particularly enjoyed a sequence of trips to England taken in her later years. She was well known for her humanity, her humility, her independence, and her sense of humor, the last causing her to say multiple times that when she died she wanted to be known for having always made her own bread crumbs and cinnamon sugar. That being said, it should be noted as well that she leaves behind a daughter, Nancy L. Coleman of Nobleboro, Maine, four grandchildren (Geoffrey S. Coleman of Williamsburg, VA; Philippa M. Coleman of Asheville, NC; Mary S. Pennell of Lancaster, PA; and David M. Pennell of Red Lion, PA) and two great grandchildren, Gavin and Gabriel Pennell. She was predeceased by her husband in 1983, her daughter, Melissa Coleman Pennell in 1999, and her son, Geoffrey R. Coleman in 2005.
Memorial donations in honor of Melissa may be made to the Skidompha Public Library, PO Box 70, Damariscotta, Maine 04543. Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main Street, Damariscotta.
(Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era 4/8/2014)
Mary Melissa Minnich Coleman of Nobleboro, Maine died on April 1, 2014. Born on October 9, 1917 in Landisville, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Lizzie Bossler and Harvey W. Minnich. Her grandfather, Simon W. Minnich, was the inventor of the Minnich baling press and founder of Minnich Machine Works, a company based in Landisville, that manufactured and shipped tobacco balers and paper balers both nationally and internationally from 1876 to 1954. In 1939 Melissa graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Architectural Engineering. While at Penn State, she won a medal from the Society of Beaux Arts Architects. After finishing college, she went to work for John Mullins in Wilmington, Delaware. In that drafting room, she met Clifford L. Coleman, whom she married on August 29, 1942.
After his return from World War II, they worked briefly in Dubois, Pennsylvania for Hunter, Caldwell, Campbell, and Ray. In 1947 they established the architectural firm of Coleman and Coleman in Landisville. Much of the firm's early work focused on the construction of schools in Lancaster County, including Hempfield High School, Penn Manor High School, Centerville Middle School, and elementary schools in Rohrerstown, Mountville, East Petersburg, and Farmdale. Other projects in Lancaster County included St. Thomas Episcopal Church, an early post-war housing development called Hickory Tree Heights, Snyder Funeral Home, a parish house for St. James Episcopal Church, Long Park Amphitheater, and a number of private residences. In 1960 they were approached by the Milton Hershey School to design a series of student homes. This initial project expanded from an original six homes to some forty-eight homes and was followed by a school building, Catherine Hall, and Founder's Hall. Other projects in Hershey included a renovation of the now- demolished Cocoa Inn, a branch bank, and the Hershey Motor Lodge.
Architecture aside, Melissa's ingenuity and creativity always combined to make it possible for her to make just about anything with her hands. Thus, it was no surprise that when, following retirement from architecture in 1975, the Colemans moved to Oxford, Maryland, she and a partner, Louisa Collier, opened The Sign of the Rudder, a craft and antique shop for which Melissa produced much of the craft work. In 1990 she moved to Nobleboro, Maine where, in concert with her daughter, she began production of a line of book structures, marketed in several galleries and under the aegis of Benoni Press. She also taught several workshops in construction of these "little books" at Round Top Center for the Arts. Always willing to volunteer within each community where she lived, Melissa willingly gave her time, knowledge, and skills to organizations as varied as the Pennsylvania chapter of The American Institute of Architects to the Lancaster Day Nursery, the Oxford Community Center, Round Top Center for the Arts, Nobleboro Historical Society, and the Skidompha Library Second Hand Bookshop, to name just a few.
Throughout her life, Melissa enjoyed traveling with her family to numerous locations both in the United States and internationally, and she particularly enjoyed a sequence of trips to England taken in her later years. She was well known for her humanity, her humility, her independence, and her sense of humor, the last causing her to say multiple times that when she died she wanted to be known for having always made her own bread crumbs and cinnamon sugar. That being said, it should be noted as well that she leaves behind a daughter, Nancy L. Coleman of Nobleboro, Maine, four grandchildren (Geoffrey S. Coleman of Williamsburg, VA; Philippa M. Coleman of Asheville, NC; Mary S. Pennell of Lancaster, PA; and David M. Pennell of Red Lion, PA) and two great grandchildren, Gavin and Gabriel Pennell. She was predeceased by her husband in 1983, her daughter, Melissa Coleman Pennell in 1999, and her son, Geoffrey R. Coleman in 2005.
Memorial donations in honor of Melissa may be made to the Skidompha Public Library, PO Box 70, Damariscotta, Maine 04543. Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main Street, Damariscotta.
(Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era 4/8/2014)
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