Nancy Gruber
1936 – 1991

“Nancy had a gift of seeing things that needed to be done. . . She gathered supporters who believed and responded to her call for help.”
Harry Matthews

A lifetime resident of Glendale, Nancy Gruber was co-founder and longtime president of the Glendale Business Association, president of the Glendale Annual Street Fair for 25 years and coordinator of the yearly Thanksgiving and Christmas food drives.

As the owner of the Village Square Beauty Shop, Nancy made Glendale women feel attractive, but she also got to know them and became their friend. “She did many good things for the village and residents in a quiet and unobtrusive way,” said Mayor Harry Matthews.

She was a member of the Glendale Lyceum, director of the Tri-County Players and past president and officer of the Glendale Centennial Gardeners.

In 1990, she was recognized for her contributions with a special commendation from Mayor Matthews. He noted that “The street fair is one of the really big village functions and she personally was responsible for the fair for many, many years. It is the glue that gives our village a sense of community.” One of her highest-impact projects was a Civil War Re-Enactment in 1991, the Sesquicentennial of the start of the war. The pageant brought thousands to the village during its weekend run.