HONESDALE, Pa. — The Stegner family name is well known in Honesdale. Some may remember the J.H. Stegner grocery store. Others may remember Dr. Robert J. Stegner and his twin sisters Joan and Janet for other things.
"They were part of this community. They knew the children by giving music lessons. They were the dentist, and they just saw how much of a need was here, and they said they desired to leave that lasting legacy," said Charles Curtin, vice president of Honesdale National Bank.
Honesdale National Bank launched the Robert E. and Leila Stegner Family Foundation, created by the late siblings to honor their parents. It has more than $10 million set aside for 13 organizations in Wayne County. One of them is the Honesdale Fire Department.
"It means a tremendous amount. These funds will be used to purchase and maintain essential firefighting equipment, which is pivotal to our ability to serve and protect our community in Honesdale," said Scott Floyd, chair of the Honesdale Fire Department board.
The Stegner siblings believed all 13 groups listed in the trust would make Wayne County a better place for all who call it home.
"It's their civic-minded spirit," Floyd said. "None of them, unfortunately, married or had children, and they wanted to give back. They saved, they worked hard, and they lived humbly."
All the groups named in the trust also have a family connection.
"The siblings provided information that their father was part of Hose Company #1 and that he actually drove the truck dating back to the 1920s," Floyd added.
The Stegner family Foundation will provide each organization with a yearly payment.
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