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Wellsville monument honors Sept. 11 victim
The Wellsville woman died in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
WELLSVILLE — A new monument reads, “We Will Never Forget. In Loving Memory of Cathy Salter.”
The background shows the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City before they were destroyed in terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001.
Cathy Salter was on the 98th floor of the south tower on that date and died in the attack.
Her mother, Eleanor Salter, of Rogers, and formerly of Wellsville, spoke Friday at the dedication of the monument to her child.
“I try to keep a low profile,” she said before the ceremony.
But Wellsville residents remember her and her daughter.
Kim Meek of Wellsville, who is the director of the Columbiana County Board of Elections, recalled that she and Cathy were in sports and music together.
The recent plan to place a memorial in the city to her daughter, “was a complete surprise to me,“ said Mrs. Salter.
She said her daughter was the valedictorian of the Wellsville class of 1982 and had worked her way up to become the vice president of risk management for AON, an insurance company.
Eleanor Salter said she is retired from being a cashier in the business office of East Liverpool City Hospital.
When the attacks began, she did not go home.
“I didn’t want to be alone,” she said.
When the South Tower was hit, “I was watching it on TV and knew she was dead.”
Mrs. Salter has five other children. Cynthia Salter of Pittsburgh accompanied her mother to the ceremony.
“You just try to go on,” Mrs. Salter said.
At first, she communicated with others over the Internet about the losses.
“The interest has kind of died out,” she said.
But state Senator Jason Wilson said of Cathy, “Her memory will always be there.”
Wilson said that America — and Wellsville — was attacked on Sept. 11. Ohio air units were the first to scramble to respond to the attack, he said.
City officials said the Wellsville Eagles paid for the monument.
But the village residents already remember Cathy.
Kim Meek of Wellsville, who is the director of the Columbiana County Board of Elections, recalled that she and Cathy were in sports and music together.
wilkinson@vindy.com