Rebecca Sims wanted to help area students gain an opportunity she never had — attending college.

Years ago, the Lawrence county resident established a scholarship fund through the Lawrence County Community Foundation in the name of her three children, Mary R. Cline, Timothy B. Maegerlein and Stephen D. Maegerlein.

“I’ve had lots of tragedy in my life, but the Lord’s been good to me,” Sims said.

Her tragedy was losing both Timothy and Mary Rachel to early deaths, she said. Timothy was killed in car accident in 1963, at age 14 and Mary Rachel died of bone marrow cancer in 1996.

Sims oldest son, Stephen, lives in Lawrence county with his wife and step-daughter. He graduated with degree in chemistry from Purdue University and worked for NSWC Crane for 38 years, she said.

She and the children’s father, late Lehrman Maegerlein, didn’t have the finances to attend college themselves, but made sure that Stephen and Mary were able to go, she said.

“We wanted the children to have what was denied us. It wasn’t easy. We made lots of sacrifice with two in school at one time,” she said.

Sims had originally planned to set up scholarships at Purdue, Mary and Stephen’s alma mater, but instead decided to keep the scholarship local.

Sims was quoted as saying, “My desire with the scholarship is to give some needy young person the education we didn’t receive.  

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