They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

In the case of Betty Guthrie, she took the town’s trash and turned it into food for the local hungry and life-saving water for Third World villagers.

Guthrie, an Ironton resident, passed away on Jan. 27, at the age of 87. When news of her death spread around the offices of The Tribune, some shared their memories of her.

Guthrie, years ago, was a frequent winner of The Tribune’s Bible verse contest in which readers submitted the book, chapter and verse of Bible verses that were printed in the paper. She always assured her prize, a new Bible, would go to someone who needed it.

In more recent years, Guthrie was known as the driving force behind a recycling project for First Presbyterian Church. For several years, she collected recyclable materials in her own car and drove them to the Rumpke facility in Hanging Rock to trade for cash.

The cash, which totaled thousands of dollars over the years, was split between the Ironton City Welfare Mission, the First United Methodist Church food pantry and Marion Medical Missions, an interdenominational international organization that drills wells for drinking water in Africa.

Many people may not know Guthrie or that she did these and other deeds for the community, because she did so without fanfare. She just loved her town and wanted it to be a better place.

When the community loses a person like Guthrie, the impact is widespread. But to honor her memory and those like her, we can all strive to be better citizens.