Steve and Becky Skillman
“Steve and I are pleased and proud to have established the Steve and Becky Skillman Community Fund,” shared Becky. “No matter where life’s journey takes us, Lawrence County will always be home.”
Steve and Becky Skillman’s story is deeply rooted in Lawrence County, where they both grew up as “rural kids.” Steve graduated from Fayetteville High School, and Becky from Tunnelton High School. Their paths first crossed when Steve was 16 and Becky just 12. Steve worked after school carrying out groceries at Louden’s Supermarket, often helping Becky’s mother with her groceries while Becky tagged along. Years later, their friendship blossomed into romance, and they married in 1969. Their son, Aaron Burke Skillman, was born one day before their tenth anniversary.
Steve built a career in management at General Motors, retiring in 2006. A natural athlete, he played high school basketball and spent two decades playing slo-pitch softball. His true passion, however, is golf—he’s been “shooting his age” since turning 66.
Becky’s early involvement in 4-H sparked a lifelong interest in community service, politics, and government. At just 25, she won her first election and went on to serve Lawrence County for 16 years, followed by 12 years in the Indiana Senate and eight years as Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor. Becky broke multiple barriers, becoming the first woman elected as State Senator for District 44, the first woman in Senate Majority Leadership, and the first woman elected as Indiana’s Lt. Governor. Today, she continues her public service through board leadership and volunteer work, including with the Lawrence County Museum of History.
“We want to give back to the community that has been so supportive of our family. It was the wonderful and constant support of the people of Lawrence County that allowed me to pursue my passion for helping our smaller cities and towns and rural communities thrive and grow,” explained Becky. “We want the best quality of life for our friends, family, and all residents of Lawrence County. We know no better way to provide a lasting contribution than partnering with the Community Foundation. Although we may know the needs of the community today, we trust the Community Foundation to understand and address the needs of tomorrow.”
Anne Johnson
Ernestine “Anne” Johnson grew up in Loogootee, IN, and attended college at Indiana State University. It was there she first heard his magical voice. “I remember hearing him on the radio and thinking, ‘Wow. What a great voice.’” But it wasn’t until several years later that Anne met the owner of that wonderful voice.
Anne worked at NSWC Crane for 28 years doing several different jobs. She most enjoyed working in the Public Affairs Department. It was there she met the man with the mesmerizing voice, Dave “Bud” Johnson.
Dave had grown up in Bedford, IN, and joined the Navy after high school. Later, Dave attended broadcasting school in Washington, D.C. He worked at several radio and television stations but finally ended up at NSWC Crane. Dave kept up with his passion, however, and worked on advertising for Bedford Federal Savings Bank. He also acted in various productions at the Little Theatre of Bedford including Another Part of the Forest and The Odd Couple.
While Anne and Dave were working together, Dave began “coming around at lunch” and asking Anne to “work on lines with him.” Eventually, Dave asked Anne to come up to his houseboat one evening, but Anne had a rule: dating someone at work was not allowed. “Finally, one night, I got so bored that I went [to the houseboat] and it’s all history from there,” Anne recalled. Less than a year later, in 1976, the two were married in Anne’s hometown of Loogootee.
During their marriage, the couple traveled from icy Alaska to tropical Hawaii, from the small town on Coronado Island to the big city on the island of Manhattan. In New York, the couple attended a few Broadway shows. “Theatre was one thing we had in common,” Anne shared.
The couple’s marriage was very successful. “He always said that I was so nice and sweet, and he was just the opposite, so we balanced each other out,” Anne remembered, laughing. “He had a gruff exterior, but he was just a pussycat inside.” Anne says that her advice to other couples would be to always keep a sense of humor.
In 2007, Dave passed away from complications of lung cancer. To honor him, Anne established the David “Bud” Johnson Fund for Little Theatre of Bedford. This designated fund’s annual distribution will provide support for the Little Theatre. In addition, Anne also began the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Bedford Fund. Anne served as Treasurer of the Society for 15 years prior to beginning the fund. She mentioned that this fund is close to her heart because she’s seen how the Society has helped people in the community.
Anne passed away in 2012. In her will, she made provisions to establish a designated fund through the Community Foundation to benefit Hope Resource Center and made additional gifts to several designated funds held by the Community Foundation to support non-profit organizations in Lawrence and Martin Counties. Giving through the Community Foundation meant Anne only had to work with one organization rather than several to fulfill her charitable goals. Furthermore, Anne chose to give through the Community Foundation because she knew her donation would be endowed and would benefit these organizations forever.
Wilbur C. Dollens
Wilbur C. “Web” Dollens grew up in Lawrence County. He spent his adult life in Indianapolis where he worked for more than 30 years in pharmaceutical sales for McNeil Laboratories. In planning his estate, Mr. Dollens’ first concern, of course, was his wife, Eileen. But he also wanted to help the community where he grew up.
In early 1992, Mr. Dollens’ advisor reached out to Reverend Stephen Braden explaining that Mr. Dollens was considering making a large gift to Lawrence County and encouraged creating a community foundation to receive the gift. In response, a small group of community minded individuals led by Rev. Braden, founding board president, established the Lawrence County Community Foundation.
With the formation of Community Foundation complete, Mr. Dollens established the Wilbur C. Dollens Charitable Remainder Trust, the first planned gift of LCCF. His wife, Eileen, was listed as the primary beneficiary. The Lawrence County Community Foundation was named as the remainderman of the trust.
Mr. Dollens passed away in 1993. Mrs. Dollens benefited from the trust until her death in 2005. After her death, the remaining funds were bequeathed to LCCF to establish the Wilbur C. Dollens Fund for Community Grants, an unrestricted, permanent endowment fund held by LCCF.
By designating the Lawrence County Community Foundation as the remainderman of his Charitable Remainder Trust, Mr. Dollens knew that the financial resources he worked hard to acquire would benefit his community…our community, forever. He could have specified a particular charitable organization to receive distributions from his gift, but he preferred to allow the LCCF Board of Directors to make that decision each year based on the community’s current needs.
Through thoughtful planning Mr. Dollens was able to provide for his wife and benefit Lawrence County for generations to come. Mr. Dollens’ legacy, however, is not only the permanent, unrestricted endowment he established, but the creation of the Community Foundation itself. He helped create an avenue for other charitable individuals to leave their legacies in our community. We are so thankful to Mr. Dollens for his generosity and commitment to helping Lawrence County prosper.
Bob Bridge
A young woman once asked Bob Bridge how a person knows when he or she has become an adult. It was a challenging question and Bob pondered it for a couple of days.
When the young woman called back, Bob gave her his answer, “As a child, I was selfishly interested in what gifts I would receive for Christmas. It was all about me. Then, one Christmas Eve, I experienced an epiphany of sorts. I felt compelled to reward my parents, who had been so sacrificial, with a very special gift.”
Bob purchased an elaborate and expensive entertainment center for his parents’ living room. Though, as a young man, he was still seeking financial stability, he wanted to show them his sincere appreciation for all they had done for him. One night just before Christmas while his parents were out, he set it up and had everything ready to go.
Bob shared about that experience, “The expression on their faces upon returning home that evening was priceless. Their joy was immeasurable. That’s when I became an adult.”
Bob had learned how much better it feels to give than to receive. It was a life-changing moment.
From that point forward, Bob would take his parents with him on vacations to Florida. The trips were full of fun and created many cherished memories. Bob became a minimalist and rather than thinking about what he might want, he sought opportunities to assist those around him. Bob found LCCF was the ideal organization to help him along this path.
In 2004, Bob established the Bob Bridge Community Fund, an unrestricted endowment to support Lawrence County non-profits. As an unrestricted fund, the Bob Bridge Community Fund can help finance grants for a wide variety of non-profits and community needs and will do so for many years to come.
“I am convinced beyond doubt,” Bob stated, “the Lawrence County Community Foundation is the optimum way for a person to support the Lawrence County community.”
Brandi Weyer
Brandi Weyer’s first encounter with a community foundation was the Spencer County Community Foundation. When she worked as the Communications Director for the Lincoln Amphitheater, they applied for and received grants from the Community Foundation. As a result, she knew the Community Foundation as a granting organization but had no idea how it worked.
When she started her career with WBIW, she became acquainted with the Lawrence County Community Foundation (LCCF) and its campaign. She now understood that the Community Foundation could award grants because of the generosity of local donors who gave to LCCF. Furthermore, those gifts would impact the community for many generations because they were invested in permanent endowments. At that time, Brandi was in her early 30s and starting to think about ways to give back to the community. She had limited funds and wasn’t sure where to start. Then she thought about the Community Foundation. “With the Community Foundation, it warmed my heart knowing my $30 per month investment, what I could afford at that time, would benefit many local nonprofits and help meet the community’s immediate and future needs. The Community Foundation has the pulse of the community and understands what the needs are in real time, year after year,” explained Brandi.
As Brandi became more involved with the Lawrence County Community Foundation, serving on the PR Committee and eventually as a Board member, her admiration for LCCF’s good work deepened. She knew that when she could, she would create her own community fund with LCCF.
Even though Brandi isn’t from Lawrence County and doesn’t live in Lawrence County, she still wants to support Lawrence County as it is the community where she built her career. The people and business owners of Lawrence County have welcomed her with open arms and have trusted her to help them market their businesses. As a result, she wants to leave a lasting, positive impact on the community that has treated her so well and put food on her table and shelter over her head.
Brandi shared “It’s my personality to not be just a survivor but a thriver. So, I created the Thrive On Community Fund. I want this community to thrive in the same way it helped me thrive.” Brandi found the Community Foundation made it easy to set up her fund. She chose to establish an unrestricted fund because it will have the ability to support many organizations and a variety of community needs. And this support will continue forever. “What I love about the Community Foundation,” said Brandi, “you can give $5 or $50,000! It doesn’t matter. You’ll be able to benefit the community where we live and work forever and in a number of ways.”
Jo Ellen Alhorn Lee
Honoring the memory of his wife, Jo Ellen, was important to Robert E. Lee. Robert was searching for a means to memorialize Jo Ellen in a way that would honor the person she was, the kindness she showed him and others, when he learned of the unrestricted funds at LCCF and decided to establish one.
The couple lived in Bedford for many years before moving to Arizona. They met at Wendy’s when Robert stopped to refuel after running a race in Bloomington and Jo Ellen was working the drive-through. Jo Ellen made quite an impression and Robert knew he wanted to marry her. They enjoyed nearly twelve years of marriage when Jo Ellen was diagnosed with glioblastoma. After a four-and-a-half-year battle with cancer, Jo Ellen passed away.
“She was quiet, not flamboyant in any way,” Robert said. She had a kind heart and loved animals. She volunteered at dog kennels in Lawrence County and as a child raised three abandoned baby sparrows. Cancer couldn’t diminish her love and care for animals. While recuperating from her second craniotomy, she and Robert were walking past a fountain when Jo Ellen noticed a pigeon stuck in the sump of the fountain. Robert encouraged Jo Ellen to keep walking, but she wouldn’t budge. Cancer had taken away her ability to talk, but she made it clear she wasn’t leaving the pigeon behind. Jo Ellen got down on her knees and reached into the sump to rescue the pigeon. With wings flapping and water spraying everywhere, Jo Ellen was drenched, and the pigeon was safely placed on the sidewalk.
“We weren’t real social people. I was never any good with girls, but she was a girl who accepted me as a companion, and I was forever in her debt for that. There was not enough I could do for her, and I owed that to her, to honor her and thank her for accepting me, eccentricities, and all.” With this goal in mind, Robert established an endowment in her honor.
The Jo Ellen Alhorn Lee Unrestricted Fund began with the money Jo Ellen had saved from her job at Wendy’s. Because of a matching opportunity, her fund quickly grew. Robert continues to make contributions to her fund to ensure it grows and gives back in perpetuity. Robert established Jo Ellen’s fund as an unrestricted fund because it can evolve to assist with the changing needs of the community. “She’d be thrilled to realize she went from someone who made $6.07 an hour to helping other people now,” Robert said.
Jo Ellen’s generous spirit and legacy will continue throughout time through the fund Robert established in her memory.
Ernest B. Heise
The Ernest B. Heise Brothers Milling Company Mannufacturers-Shippers Scholarship Fund was established in honor of the family patriarch who brought the family from Germany to the United States. The scholarship provides financial assistance to students graduating from Orleans High School who are planning to continue their education. The Heise family has a strong Orleans legacy that endures through this scholarship which was established to give back to the Orleans community and to help future generations flourish by assisting students achieve their educational goals.
Heise Brothers Feed Mill Orleans Indiana
Heise Brothers was established March 19,1896, when Albert and Edward M. Heise purchased the Chenworth flour mill and continued its operation. Their father Ernest Heise, Senior, earlier immigrated to New Orleans on December 1, 1854, from Wulften Germany where the Heise family were established German Flour Millers since the 1600’s. Adding to the facilities in 1905 was the erection of a coal powered steam engine which powered their electric light plant. The plant serviced the town with electric power for lighting purposes six hours a day divided by morning and night. They installed home wiring to facilitate this new modern convenience. An initial ice plant with a daily capacity of ten tons was eventually increased to thirty tons with the aid of electricity. The electric plant was sold years later to the city of Orleans. Other products were maintained as chief products of a steadily growing business.
Albert and Edward Heise each passed away three months apart in 1919. The second generation of Heise Brothers was born. The new firm included sons Ernest, Earl, and Roy Heise. As business increased, they kept abreast of the times with consistent equipment modernization in every department. In 1926, they converted the Orleans Mill into a Feed Mill to meet local and growing demand for animal feeds.
In 1936, they erected a grain elevator with a storage capacity of 33,000 bushels. A corn dryer was installed soon thereafter with a dryer capacity of 7,200 bushels daily. It was one of very few dryers in the State of Indiana. An enormous quantity of grain was purchased from farmers in this locality. Corn shipping was initiated to liquor manufactures located in Louisville, Kentucky
Satellite milling manufacturing plants and retail stores were opened in Bedford, Mitchell, Paoli, French Lick, and Marengo, Indiana. Heise feed formulas were only manufactured with the very finest ingredients with evolution. Heise quality feeds were recognized, purchased, and shipped to hundreds of communities. The established Heise Brothers Milling Co. grew into one of the largest grain milling manufacturing organizations in southern Indiana. They became recognized as a manufacturing, dealer, and shipping company. After prohibition, the firm became a wholesale distributor of Ortel beers. The first authorized Pepsi distributorship in the state of Indiana was opened by the Heises giving birth to their second and third business enterprises. They added additional delivery trucks, storage rooms, and a growing workforce. The main section of their Orleans plant was expanded with the purchase of the James Fidler home with the firm then encompassing one city block.
The business was sold to the Goodrich Feed Company in 1951. Fifty-five years of Heise Brothers products and services were a great asset and employer to their respective communities.
Joe & Sharon Collins
June 7, 2022, would have been Charles Eugene “Joe” and Sharon Collins’ 56th wedding anniversary. Joe passed away in December 2019. Sharon Kay Collins was a resident of Autumn Trace Assisted Living in Bedford when she passed in April, 2022.
To honor and continue Joe and Sharon Collins’ strong legacy of community and charitable work, the Joe and Sharon Collins Community Fund was established by their children (Tammy, Kevin, Doug, and Debbie). Tammy said, “my parents would want their giving to continue long after they have passed. They were God-loving people and gave us kids everything, so we want to give back to those in need in their memory. I definitely want their passion of serving to be remembered and, in fact, to be magnified in the future for the benefit of the community.”
Joe and Sharon Collins were born in 1944 in Bauxite, Arkansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, respectively. They both spent a lifetime serving and caring for others.
Joe Collins was an athlete who played high school football, basketball, and tennis. He went on to serve in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War on the USS Cunningham. Upon return from active duty, Joe was employed with Reynolds Metals Company, which is now part of ALCOA.
While raising his three kids, Joe could be found on the softball or baseball diamond coaching, or in the gym “coaching” from the bleachers. He was an avid sports fan; the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Cardinals were his favorites.
Joe had a passion for sports and a passion for helping others. When he retired at the young age of 48, after having traveled to Nigeria to open a plant for ALCOA, Joe found himself serving others in a local soup kitchen in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He loved to cook as that was his job on the USS Cunningham. He could host the best backyard picnics and was very creative with his food display. He was always the church luncheon coordinator and when the local sports teams needed a meal, they could count him in.
He always cared for the betterment of society. When a family needed assistance with their electric bills, completing their taxes, or just mowing their lawn, Joe would be there. He was hard-working, dependable, caring, and most of all humorous. Joe would regularly tell jokes or stories that would grab your attention.
Sharon Collins spent her entire life serving others as well. She was a registered nurse, who paid her way through college while Joe was in the Navy. She began her career in the emergency room, transitioned to orthopedics, and, later in her career, worked in geriatrics. Sharon was a hard-working, proud, selfless, managerial supervisor for many years.
When not at work, Sharon could often be found in her sewing room. She made hundreds of quilts, afghans, Christmas stockings, and dish towels for friends, family, and complete strangers. She loved to use her talents and treasures to give to others.
During her employment with the Arkansas State Psychiatric Hospital, she was struck in the head by a patient and her then poor eyesight became progressively worse. In 1992, Sharon received the devastating diagnosis of legal blindness. Sharon retired after 25 years as she transitioned from caring for others to relying on others.
Sharon loved to worship her Lord Jesus Christ and could recite many passages from the Bible even after becoming legally blind because the words were cemented in her heart and mind.
Knowing how difficult it is to ask for help, seeing despair in family members, and witnessing orphaned children in need of bare necessities formed a forever helping hand attitude in Joe and Sharon Collins. Although Joe never lived in Lawrence County and Sharon only lived here for the last eighteen months of her life, they knew the need for taking care of others exists in every community. For Joe and Sharon, the gift of giving is not about the who or where, it is about the what. The what is assisting others who just need help. That is what the Joe and Sharon Collins Community Fund will do.
Jim & Edna Anderson
Jim and Edna Anderson became interested in donating funds to Lawrence County Community Foundation when they learned a few years ago about Lilly Endowment's GIFT II offer to match donations dollar-for-dollar.
"Jim thought it would be a shame if Lawrence County didn't take advantage of the offer," Mrs. Anderson said. "We could donate money for the community plus take advantage of Lilly's generosity." The Andersons donated stocks that appreciated rather than paying taxes.
"Estate taxes are blatantly unfair if you've worked all your life," she said. "Donating to the foundation is doing something to give back to the community and doing something for generations."
The donation was placed in Bedford Urban Enterprise Zone Association's fund to provide seed money for small businesses. As a result of donating to a designated fund during GIFT II, the Anderson's gift also leveraged GIFT II funds, which were placed in the foundation's unrestricted fund. That fund distributes interest payments to numerous nonprofit community projects twice a year.
“The Foundation doesn’t spend the principal, only the interest,” she said. “It’s something that will go on forever, which is a pretty meaningful thing to do. If you donate to charity, you donate all the time, but this is a one-time donation that keeps on going and growing because money stays invested. I feel like the more people learn about this, the more people will invest in it and our little nest egg will grow.” The Andersons understand how difficult it is to start and maintain a small business, which is why they decided to donate to the Bedford Urban Enterprise Zone Association’s existing fund. The couple owned and operated a restaurant, Red Barrel Drive-In, for eight years beginning in 1956. Later, they closed the restaurant to form A&A Realty. Eventually, Anderson sold commercial real estate and later became a land developer.
“I would rather give money to the local community and have some say so over where it goes, rather than giving it to Uncle Sam to do whatever with,” Mrs. Anderson said.
Ed Epping
Lehigh Portland Cement Co. in Mitchell donated $5,000 to the Mitchell Community Recreation Association toward its $50,000 goal. Lilly Endowment challenged organizations to raise $50,000 locally to which it would give $100,000 each in direct grants for special projects. The $50,000 is placed in a permanent endowment through the Lawrence County Community Foundation.
Mitchell Community Recreation Association will use its special project funding to build a sports complex on Mitchell’s east side. Ed Epping, plant manager, said Lehigh Portland Cement Co. contributed to the fund because working together to build communities is included in the company’s vision. He also saw that the Mitchell community is in need of recreational activities for its youth.
“This is the first time ever all of the recreational activities are under the Mitchell Community Recreation Association umbrella,” Epping said. “That entity now has a $50,000 endowment and a $25,000 foundation match. The association will forever receive proceeds from the $75,000 endowment.” The sports complex will be built on property adjacent to Lehigh. The company entered into a 50-year lease for $1 with the Mitchell Community Recreation Association.
Lehigh also donated $21,000 worth of playground equipment to the association. Epping and two other engineers from the plant volunteered to survey ground for a new biddy field and a girls softball field as well.
Epping said. “I believe strongly in getting the youth to be productive, and right now there’s not a lot of things for kids to do in the summer here in Mitchell. I dream of a massive sports complex on the east side of town supported by people of Mitchell on Lehigh property that would give the youth every night an opportunity to play organized sports with adult supervision.”
Marlene Emery
Marlene Emery has established several endowment funds that give to charitable organizations in the community, supporting education, culture, health care and family. Her charitable giving through the Lawrence County Community Foundation will continue to give financial support to community needs forever.
Marlene’s philanthropy involves much more than money. It raises public awareness concerning community needs. Emery was sold on the concept of a community foundation just three years after the idea got off the ground in Lawrence County . With $1,000 per fund, Emery established a variety of funds. Public awareness campaigns encouraged others to donate to those and other funds that were opening at the same time. Once funds reached a three-year average balance of $5,000 or more, grants may be made to those special interest projects several times per year – forever.
"You don't have to have a million dollars to establish funds or to donate to existing Lawrence County Community Foundation funds," Emery said. "With $1,000 now - instead of thinking you'll do something in the future – start a fund now and let it build. We've been very fortunate to have so many different people in the community willing to work and give their time and resources to the Foundation."
The first fund Emery opened was in memory of her parents Opal and Freeda Casada. Her mother, a homemaker, died in June 1983. Her father, a concrete mason, died in February 1993.
Another fund Emery founded was for seniors. "Funds for the elderly are really needed," Emery said. "People tend to forget about the elderly. Establishing this fund made me aware of just how much you can do in that field. . . It has built awareness," she added. "It makes people think they can do something too." The fund makes it possible for grants to be made as often as twice per year for projects that benefit Lawrence County 's senior citizens.
Emery continued creating funds, many of which support her adult children's widely different interests. Emery's generosity also reaches out to Lawrence County families and to people with cultural interests. She established a fund in honor of her former mother-in-law, Joan Emery Prentiss, to help families caring for a terminally ill loved one. She also opened the Mr. and Mrs. J. Grant Moore fund for cultural arts in memory of her friends. With an interest in art herself, Emery initiated a fund for Indiana University students and another fund to support the IU Museum of Art.
Emery said she opened the funds to support a wide array of community organizations because she felt a deep responsibility to give back to the community. She said her parents were great role models, having spent their lives helping people in quiet ways. Growing up in the Christian religion influenced her philanthropic philosophy. "Giving is where you get the most joy," Emery said. "It's better to give than to receive."
There are many benefits in being a donor, according to Emery. "It's so great while you are still alive to see these funds working and accomplishing things," she said. "It's a selfish thing too. It's really great to enjoy funds that are enabling groups to do things they aren't [otherwise] able to do or to reach more people they might not be able to reach and see it all growing while you are still alive. It's great satisfaction."
Emery's greatest satisfaction is watching the Limestone Girls Club fund grow and strengthen programs for local girls. "My favorite fund isn't one of these," she said, referring to the funds she personally established. "It's the Girls Club. It's my real love. I think it will do so much for the girls in Bedford . I like all the funds. Each one is wonderful. But the one that means the most to me is the Girls Club. I think at this time, girls especially are under so many pressures, and they need a place to feel safe and to be with good role models and to receive opportunities where they can develop in sports, hobbies and reading. I feel a real commitment to that. The community has always had a good boys club program, and I think the girls deserve at least that much."
Emery is a 1954 graduate of Bedford High School . She earned a degree from DePauw University in 1960. She is a former school teacher and has owned Fit for Life since it was founded in 1985.
Eugene & Marilyn Glick
The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Foundation established a field of interest fund through the Lawrence County Community Foundation to provide support and maintenance programs and services for senior citizens in Bedford . The earnings will be allocated to community projects that support the fund's purpose.
The fund was established in the year that Mr. and Mrs. Glick celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and the founding of the Gene B. Glick Company, 1997.
Gene and Marilyn Glick founded the company in 1947 in Indianapolis and, since that time, they have built more than 30,000 apartments and single-family homes. Glick is recognized nationally for his efforts in the construction and management of real estate housing developments.
The company also manages more than 20,000 apartment complexes in 12 states, including Cambridge Square Apartments in Bedford . It is one of the largest privately owned property management organizations in the country.
The Glicks established similar funds across the state in communities where they own property.
Mike & Debbie Hicks
Mike and Debbie Hicks have deep roots in Lawrence County . Both attended local schools through graduation. Debbie traces her lineage through the Hatfields, while Mike’s ancestors have been here since the civil war. Their three children, Michael, Kristen, and Jeffrey, all graduated from Bedford North Lawrence and were involved in 4-H, scouting, sports and academics as youngsters.
The couple expresses gratitude for the community’s responsiveness to their business ventures, which have included Insurance Once, the Travel One travel agency, and property management and development. Debbie notes, “We were blessed with a lot of gifts and we feel we should share them.”
Volunteering is one way the Hicks have given back. “Volunteerism—people helping people—is so important for the community,” Debbie says. She started visiting an “adopted grandma” at a local nursing home when she was in her twenties, and continued volunteering throughout her adult life, focusing at present on the Bedford Rotary Club and the United Way . Mike is currently an Elder in the Calvary Lutheran Church . Another project is developing an innovative housing system to help clients of crisis pregnancy centers.
The couple believes their children learned the value of community primarily through their example as parents. When Michael, Kristen, and Jeffrey were involved in athletics, Mike coached “more games than I could count!” he says. Eldest son Michael, now teaching in Wisconsin , used to help his dad with coaching, and today is using basketball to reach out to troubled kids.
When the Hicks updated their estate plans, reflecting their family’s current stage of life and tax situation, and took the opportunity to incorporate their community interests into their plans. This included establishing three new endowment funds within the Lawrence County Community Foundation (LCCF) to benefit several different causes. “Our faith, beliefs, and value system dictates a lot of what we choose to support,” Debbie explains.
The Bedford Rotary Club Education Fund provides a way to support the educational programs of the local club without need of further annual fundraising. Club members may recommend grants to support projects like the “I like me” program, which provides every preschool child in the community with a book personalized for them.
The Calvary Lutheran Church Missions Fund and the Hicks Family Fund for Pregnancy Care Center will provide annual income to the respective beneficiary organizations. “These endowments are now a vehicle available to anyone who is interested in supporting either the church’s mission programs or the Center, and doing it in a way that gives them perpetual support,” Mike explains.
The Hicks are also directing unrestricted monies to LCCF. “We know what is important to us and what some of the community needs are today,” Mike says, “but those needs are going to change. We have confidence in the Community Foundation’s board to make a difference for the community with these funds as new needs arise.”
The couple are members of LCCF’s new Legacy Society, which recognizes and thanks people during their lifetime for planning gifts that will benefit the community after they are gone. “We don’t think of ourselves as wealthy,” Debbie says, “and I don’t think you have to be wealthy to make a difference, but Mike and I have been fortunate. At some point you have to decide, what are you going to do with your resources? This is a way to help improve the quality of life for our community.”
As with all funds at LCCF, anyone may give to any established fund. Cash, stocks, and property may be donated, and gifts may be made through a bequest or trust. For more information about giving to any of the funds mentioned, or to learn more about LCCF’s Legacy Society, call the office at 279-2215.
Maurice "Jack" & Maxine Zollman
The Zollman Family Fund is dedicated to helping abused and neglected children, a cause close to Maxine Zollman's heart. As a trained volunteer with the Guardian Ad Litem program, which provides court appointed special advocates for children in the courtroom, Maxine has seen 'so many children in need." Maxine explains that the children need support and affection as well as the material basics that we often take for granted.
The first grant was made from the fund in November 2001. It supported a project by Domestic Violence Intervention Network for teens of DVIN clients. To ensure that these vulnerable teens were not overlooked during the season of giving, DVIN provided holiday gift baskets for the youth. In addition to the grant from the Zollman Family Fund for Abused and Neglected Children, local businesses provided in-kind donations to help fill up the baskets.
Maxine Zollman learned about the Community Foundation's mission and the lasting power of endowment funds in part through a neighbor, Maribelle Dyer, a previous executive director of the Foundation. The Zollman family started their endowment fund in 1996. Julia Zollman Wickes and her husband, Jack, made the founding gift to the fund. The Wickes have helped build the fund over time, as have Maxine and Maurice "Jack" Zollman.
Since Jack's death in May 2001, many gifts have also been made to the fund in his honor by friends and family. Jack and his father, Maurice J. Zollman Sr., owned the Cadillac-Oldsmobile dealership Bedford Auto Co. for more than 50 years. Jack ran the business after his father’s death in 1973 until it was sold in 1988.
Individuals interested in contributing to the fund for abused and neglected children can make checks payable to the Lawrence County Community Foundation and designate it to the Zollman family fund.
Rebecca Sims
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.
Ray Robison
Ray Robison, a long time Bedford attorney, decided to honor and remember his deceased parents by giving to the future of Lawrence County. Ray started an unrestricted fund in the name of his parents, Ralph W. “Shorty” and Bette R. Robison.
Ray established the Ralph W. “Shorty” and Bette R. Robinson Fund for Community Grantmaking as an unrestricted fund to honor his parents because they had varying interests. “Unrestricted funds are used to make grants for a variety of charitable purposes,” explained Robison, a former member of the LCCF Board of Directors and the Grants Committee. “That means that as needs change, funds can be redirected each year to meet them. The fact that each year a different cause is funded would give my parents a great deal of satisfaction, particularly my mother.”
Bette Robison was a retired engineering technician for the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane and an active member of senior citizen groups in Bedford and Mitchell. She was also a member of the Altrusa Club of Bedford.
Ralph “Shorty” Robison was a truck driver and enjoyed outdoor activities like hunting and fishing. He and Bette taught Ray that honesty and hard work were the way to get things done. They also encouraged Ray to do his part for the community and to make it a better place.
Robison said funds such as this one honor the memory of someone’s life and at the same time provide resources to touch future lives. “It’s a way to honor my parents and I know the money will be there forever. It will be benefiting groups long after I’m gone,” Ray said. “I just think it’s a nice way for people to honor their parents and grandparents.”
Ray established the fund during a Lilly Endowment Inc. GIFT V matching funds challenge which increased the value of the endowment.
Kenneth Plummer, Jr.
Kenneth Plummer Jr. was involved in community service organizations for many years. Several years ago he found another avenue to serve his community. The president of Day & Carter Mortuary donated stocks to the Lawrence County Community Foundation.
The stocks were sold and the proceeds were placed in a fund within the Community Foundation. The principal is never spent, but the interest will be paid to the Thornton Memorial Boys Club and the Limestone Girls Club to maintain services.
“I chose to donate the stocks to the two clubs because I was impressed with their sports programs,” Plummer said. “I was impressed with the variety of sports they offer and the amount of children who participate in them.”
Plummer said the money is earmarked to perpetuate the two youth programs and will not be spent toward their building projects.
“It was a way to return our blessing back to the community,” Plummer said. “Our great grandson, Jesse Plummer, will be 6 in January. He’s just at the age to start participating in sports at the Boys Club. Our donation will benefit him, too.”
In addition, Lilly Endowment provided a 50 percent match to Plummer’s contribution. Plummer, a lifelong resident of the county, started working at Day & Carter Mortuary when he was in high school. He graduated from Kansas State University and Indiana College of Mortuary Science. He also served during the Korean Conflict, returning to serve the Bedford community in 1956.
The businessman has served his community as a Bedford City Council member, past commander of Gillen Post 33 of the American Legion, past Exalted Ruler of Bedford Elks Lodge, and deacon of First Baptist Church in Bedford . He has been associated with youth activities through chairmanships in the American Legion.
Harold "Mac" & Shirley McReynolds
To honor and continue "Mac" and Shirley McReynolds’ strong legacy of community and charitable work in Lawrence County, their son Mark established the Harold “Mac” and Shirley McReynolds Fund.
Mac and Shirley McReynolds moved to Bedford from Wisconsin in 1973. Mac was a managerial Fisheries Biologist with the U. S. Forest Service in Milwaukee and had sought a transfer to southern Indiana where they had both grown up.
Mac was raised in Milan, Indiana. He attended the tiny Milan High School which won the Indiana High School Basketball Championship in 1954. This achievement is known as the “Milan Miracle.” Although Mac had already graduated by 1954, he was well acquainted with Bobby Plump and a few others from that Milan team.
Shirley was a native of Orange County, Indiana. She attended grade school with Larry Bird’s father, Joe Bird. Upon their return to Indiana, Shirley was selected for a faculty position with the IU School of Business after having taught business subjects in high school for many years.
During their working years in Bedford and Bloomington and after their retirement, they were very involved in the community and gave generously of their time. Mac served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Lawrence County Museum of History. He created the ongoing “Brain Games” project as a fundraiser for the Museum, and since the first Brain Games in 2002, it has continued to be a fun and successful fundraising event for the Museum.
Shirley served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Bedford Regional Medical Center, including several years as Chairperson. She served on the LCCF Board where she chaired the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship selection committee for several years. She also held leadership positions in their church, Bedford First United Methodist Church. In 2006, Shirley received the LCCF “Walk with Excellence” award in the category of Business.
In 2001, Mac and Shirley organized a very successful Elderhostel program at Spring Mill. This program introduced visitors from all over the U.S. to the attractions of Lawrence County.
Shirley passed away in 2011 and Mac passed away in 2013. Their son Mark, an IT Project Manager in Bloomington, Illinois, established the Harold “Mac” and Shirley McReynolds Fund to honor his parents because, as he says, “the amount of effort and dedication that each of my parents put into the Lawrence County community and other charitable organizations was astounding, both to me and to their many friends and acquaintances. They were fantastic people and great parents. I definitely want their efforts to be remembered, and in fact to be magnified in the future, for the benefit of the local community.”
The Harold “Mac” & Shirley McReynolds Fund is a permanent, unrestricted endowment. It is permanently invested and will continue to fund grants in the community for many generations. Because it is an unrestricted fund, it can support programs and charitable organizations doing good work in many different areas and will fund local needs that might not be evident today but certainly will be in the future.
Through this fund, Mac and Shirley McReynolds’ dedication to their community is being magnified throughout Lawrence County and will be well into the future.
Dave Jacobs
Growing up in Bedford in the 1920s and 30s, Dave Jacobs learned early in life about the value of community and the importance of giving. “We were always taught that this community is our home, and you need to participate in it and understand it and enhance its value by what you can do for it,” Jacobs said. His parents led by their own example of community involvement. Scouting reinforced the idea for this young man that he should “help other people at all times.”
Jacobs continued to manage the business his father opened in 1909, Bedford Furniture Galleries. And he carried on the family tradition of community involvement with gusto, until he passed away in 2020. He volunteered for the local Boy Scouts council and the Lawrence County Community Foundation. Jacobs also served on the boards of the North Lawrence Scholarship Foundation as well as the Lawrence County Historical and Genealogical Society. He was active with public bodies like the City Plan Commission too.
In addition to giving his time, Jacobs provided financial support for a variety of causes that spoke to his values. Three endowment funds at the Community Foundation helped him achieve some of his charitable goals. In 2000, he founded a designated fund for the Hoosier Trails Council of Boy Scouts. Each year the Hoosier Trail Council receives a designated grant from the earnings of this fund.
Before that, in 1996, he started the Jacobs Family Fund, a donor advised fund. Mr. Jacobs has a strong respect for the environment and envisions this fund helping to protect the environment by funding a variety of projects, such as planting trees for clean air and preserving agricultural land. “I’ve always appreciated the way American Indians feel about life. . . they were caretakers for the land,” he explains. “We have wonderful natural resources here in Lawrence County, and we need to take care of them.”
In 2016, Mr. Jacobs established the David Alan Jacobs Community Fund. This unrestricted fund has the versatility to meet a wide variety of community needs.
Mr. Jacobs said, "Whether I'm here or not, I want the community to be a strong community." Though this kind and generous man passed away in 2020, the permanent endowments he established will continue to grow and strengthen this community through the grants they fund generation after generation.
Jerry Hill
Jerry Hill isn’t a native of Springville, but he cares about his community just the same. A public works employee at Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane, Hill is a firm believer in giving back to his community.
“You have to give your community something when you are doing good,” Hill said. Hill and several Springville residents renovated the old Springville High School gym. The goal was to create a community center where scout meetings, athletic activities and gatherings could take place. Hill was also actively involved on the executive council of Boy Scouts of America. When Lawrence County Community Foundation came up with the “Heritage Program” concept, Springville residents gladly jumped on the bandwagon.
The program is two-fold. One component encourages outlying communities to open permanent endowment funds and form a committee of residents to determine how the interest will be spent. The advisory board composed of Springville residents will determine which Springville organizations will receive future grant funds. A bonus, the community receives a $1,000 grant from Lawrence County Community Foundation’s unrestricted fund for community projects.
Hill donated money to establish a permanent endowment for the Springville community. “I was one of four charter donors,” Hill said. “We provided enough money to get it off the ground.” The principal is invested. When it reaches $5,000, interest earned is granted back to the community. “The foundation invests the money and it becomes a gift to the community forever,” Hill said. “I plan to add to it every year.”
Hill, who contributes significantly to community projects, said helping to establish a permanent endowment was a natural thing for him to do. “The money will stay in the community,” Hill said. “That’s the driver. Grants will be spent in the community.”
The process, Hill said, was simple. “Once you get it (the endowment fund) started, it perpetuates itself,” he said. “The Community Foundation helped a lot in getting it started. They prepare paperwork for you. They handle bookkeeping and investments. The only work for the committee is recommending where the money goes. It’s so easy,” Hill added. “I’ve got confidence that the investment will earn income and it keeps going. It’s a really good deal.”