Kathryn A. Sheedy Sanctuary is a more than 40-acre forested park in Morrow County with large stands of previously cultivated white pines, dense deciduous woodlands, extensive marsh areas covered with buttonbush and other aquatic plants, a rich understory of spice bush, diverse wildflowers, gentle rolling topography, a clear bubbling stream, and well-maintained trails. The property had been owned by members of the Sheedy family for more than 100 years before Kathryn A. Sheedy inherited it in 1977. She was born in Centerburg in 1918 to Charles and Mary Sheedy, graduated from Ohio University, earned a Masters Degree from Ohio State, taught at several schools in Ohio and Michigan, later settled in Westerville, Ohio, and was active in organizations including the Westerville Historical Society, Westerville Garden Club, League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women, and Order of Easter Star, while also volunteering at Inniswood Gardens and Hanley House and traveling to places such as Afghanistan, the Khyber Pass in Pakistan, and Machu Picchu in Peru. After her death on November 19, 2003, Bruce E. Bailey, representing her estate, contacted Samuel Barone of the Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County, and with guidance from foundation directors and cooperation with the Morrow County Park District, their efforts helped secure a large Clean Ohio Conservation Fund Grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission. The sanctuary became a reality in January 2006 through a generous gift from Sheedy's estate, and her will required that the land be preserved in perpetuity as a park or green space kept in its natural state except for minimal, non-invasive public access facilities and free of athletic or sporting events. The Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County also established a permanent trust fund whose revenue is to be used exclusively for the park.