Reading the Reading Eagle is a big part of the lives of the residents of Berks County.
Longtime subscribers look forward to the newspaper arriving on their doorsteps each morning, bringing them news from their communities, the state, the nation and the world.
They rely on the Reading Eagle to learn about what is going on in their communities, including municipal meetings, sports scores, deaths, marriages, births and events.
At the Reading Eagle, we take the responsibility of keeping our readers informed very seriously. We know they are our lifeblood. For this 150th anniversary section, we wanted to feature some of the many readers who have been so loyal through the years.
Patricia Shollenberger, 76, Exeter Township, 70-year reader
What is your first memory of the Reading Eagle?
“When I was kid growing up in Reading on Moss Street, my parents got the paper. I looked at the comics back then. I still look at the comics. The comics are funny.”
What interests you most in the Reading Eagle?
“I like everything. I read it from the front page to the end. My husband, Richard, reads it first, and then I look it. That is what I am doing right now. I see stories about people who I know and I cut them out. You never know who you are going to see in the paper.”
What was your favorite story?
“My wedding story was great. We had our picture in when we were married on Nov. 14, 1959. I am still married to the guy. My husband was a policeman in Reading.”
Florence Youse, 72, Virginville, Richmond Township, 65-year reader
When did you start reading the Reading Eagle?
“I was born in 1945. I started reading the Reading Eagle back in the 1950s. There were two papers, the Reading Times and the Reading Eagle. We got the Reading Eagle at night. I was growing up in Mohnton. My mother got it every day.”
What do you remember about the Reading Eagle in the early days?
“It was interesting. I used to read the weddings, the deaths and the births. I wanted to know who died and who had a baby. I still do that.”
What story is most memorable?
“I remember 9/11 most. I was reading a lot about it. That was really terrible. I also remember about the school in Connecticut with the children being killed. It was terrible.”
Leon Sallade, 68, Temple, 45-year subscriber
When did you start reading the Reading Eagle?
“I started getting the paper when I returned to Reading in 1972 after serving in the Marines. My wife, Sharon, 72, and I read the paper every day.”
Why did you subscribe to the Reading Eagle?
“I wanted to know what was going on in Vietnam. I got a job working as a refrigeration repairman at Mrs. Smith’s in Pottstown and Morgantown, and I was interested in knowing about what is going on.”
What stories interest you the most in the Reading Eagle?
“Stories about racism. When I was in Vietnam, there was no such thing as racism. We were all brothers. We looked out for each other. It wasn’t until I got back here that I realized what racism is. Now, I read stories about movements like Black Lives Matter.
“I also like to read stories about the fires. I was with the Liberty Fire Company in Reading.”
What is your favorite section?
“I like to read the opinion pages. I think it’s very informative. I read about the bickering going on with President (Donald) Trump. He’s in there to do a job. I sit and chuckle about the stuff. They make a big deal of the president tweeting. I read the Reading Eagle. I don’t follow Facebook or Twitter.”
Norma Wilson, 84, Laureldale, 78-year reader
When did you start reading the Reading Eagle?
“I was born in 1932 in Shillington. We moved to Laureldale. We got the Reading Times and the Reading Eagle. We got the paper twice a day. I started reading it when I was in grade school. My family has been connected to the paper since the 1930s.”
What do you remember about your family members working as news carriers?
“My two brothers, my husband, my children and my grandchildren were all newspaper carriers. My brother Homer delivered the paper on Pearl Harbor Day. I guess I was about 9. It was something everyone in the house listened to on the radio and read in the newspaper. He is 90 years old. My son Donald Jr., who they call ‘Wink,’ started delivering the paper, and my husband, Donald Sr., 84, was his helper. When you are a growing kid you want to earn some money.”
What is your favorite section today?
“I skim through all of the stories. I like to know what it going on in the world. It’s a source of conversation. I don’t read on computers. I look forward to reading the paper.”
How do you catch up with the local news when you are on vacation?
“My daughter lives next door. She gets our paper. We try to catch up. I don’t give it the full read. But I do catch up on the important things.”