Marieanna Bair Memorial Celebration
Celebration of Her Life at Lyon School
Sunday, June 19, 2022

The family of Marieanna Bair along with the Brighton Area Historical Society invite members and friends to this special day of remembrance.

Marieanna passed at age 95 on September 29, 2021.

Marieanna was a friend to all that met her. She became a great friend to many after working with her. Many felt a deeper contact with her especially since she was from an earlier generation. I have heard many comments from folks that loved and respected her like their own mother. Her presence and smile is missed by all.

Marieanna was a leader of the society almost from the day it was organized in 1981. Building membership and acquiring a home for the society were early goals that Marieanna and others fought to achieve. The society’s permanent home is the 1885 Lyon Schoolhouse at 11455 Buno Road which closed its school doors in 1957. It was utilized as the Brighton Township Hall until 1983. This community treasure was to be razed, but it was preserved through the efforts of key community alumni and friends including Marieanna. The former schoolhouse was donated to the historical society by Brighton Township after the new township hall was built. The very generous Brighton Rotary Club and its members did a thorough renovation of the schoolhouse. It was then ready for its new life in 2001.

The family of Marieanna made a very generous recent donation to be used for improvements in her special room, the archive room. Marieanna was a data driven person. She collected historical facts on people, families, organizations, churches, government, and businesses. Her personal contacts with former long time Brighton families both near and far was part of the foundation she built of family stories and histories. Likewise much research by Marieanna and several lady friends compiled many binders listing merchants’ various addresses from Brighton’s earliest days.

The archive room will be dedicated in Marieanna’s memory and will be known as the “Marieanna Bair Archive Room”. A nice sign with her photo will greet members and guests as they visit this room. New computers and a local area network with upgraded scanners and printers will allow easier digitizing and access to files. New furniture and improved overhead lighting will make the archive room a comfortable place to work.

We hope that you will save this date, Sunday, June 19, from 1—4pm at the Lyon School, located at 11455 Buno Road, and join us for an afternoon of happy memories and stories.