Women made history in many ways, and with March being National Women in History month we have an opportunity to point ourselves in the direction of learning more about who, when, where, what, and how.

            While it's easy for many of us to research these special women on an

Stella Shenberger began making cigars in local fac- tories.  She was still making them out of her home "factory" in the early 1950's, long after local cigar- akers closed their factories.

international, national, or state level, we sometimes just don't get the opportunity to hear about a special woman in our own backyard, doing what she needs to get by. 

            Making a living is tough.  It was even tougher for folks in the first half of the last century.

            We've heard and read about the early cigar factories throughout our region. For over 60 years cigar-making provided employment for many residents, and contributed drastically to the growth of the region.

            But, here's a story about a much smaller "factory."  Run by a married couple out of their home, it outlasted the big operations and operated into the 1950's.

            There is lots of historical information to research about local, large cigar-making factories and not so much about those made by skilled persons and sold out of their own home.

            Originally from Shelly, Stella Shenberger began making cigars around 1917 in

Stella and husband Norman hand-made their cigars in Red Hill and sold them for 8 cents each.  They used a bench-cutter and cigar press mold in the process.  The cigar box notes the name of S. Shenberger as the Manufacturer

factories in Quakertown and her hometown in Bucks County.  While working in one of the factories, she met her future husband, Norman.

            They were living in Red Hill when the Great Depression struck in 1929.  By then most of the large cigar factories were a thing of the past and many of the still operating facilities were closing.

            In order to make a living, the couple began operating factory of their own in 1934.  What made their Red Hill product unique was that their cigars were hand-made, not machine-made.  They made the cigars in a fully-equipped, but small room in their home – right next to the kitchen.

            Norman passed away in 1946, but Stella kept on making cigars.  In 1952, she was still making about 200 cigars a day for three or four days-a-week.

            Stella never smoked and in the 1950's she told a newspaper reported that "The cigar-making business is not as lucrative as in days gone by" and added that people find them too expensive, but they are still in demand.

            In the end, Stella stood alone in an industry that was once the main livelihood of many in our region.