Local Foundation begins 5th decade

Nuckolls County Foundation begins fifth decade of service

The Nuckolls County Foundation board of directors met in mid-April for their annual meeting and to determine recipients of $32,450 in scholarships for 2021 high school graduates.

The meeting marks the beginning of five decades of service to the people of Nuckolls County in Nebraska and of Jewell County in Kansas. The most common form of service comes with the awarding of scholarship money to the high school seniors of the two counties. This year the decisions were made from the following funds:

Diane Rose Sole Scholarship to a Lawrence-Nelson High School student in the medical field to McKenzie Ostdiek.

Bob and Elizabeth Meyer Scholarship to a Superior student involved in business and economics programs to Tia Gonzales-Hunter.

Roy and Velma Schiermeyer Rorabaugh Scholarship to students in business, accounting or math field to Blake Janda of Lawrence-Nelson High School and Tia Gonzales-Hunter of Superior schools.

Charlotte Peckham Walters Scholarship for an education major to Kaylee Flaata of Superior.

Superior Class of 1965 to a Superior High School student to Jedd Whitmore of Superior.

The Nuckolls County Foundation Scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded to the following, according to schools:

Lawrence-Nelson: Trevor Biltoft, Jessica Himmelberg, Darren Kathman, Avery Mazour, Peyton Mazour, Alexandra Miller, Emily Miller, Keith Miller, Victoria Miller, McKenzie Ostdiek, Amaya Rasmussen, Konnor Thompson, Cole Troudt and Blake Wroughton.

Superior: Sierra Blackburn, Connor Blackstone, Elijah Heusinkvelt, Kiara Mikkelsen, Raven Page, Jetta Sunday, Morgan Theis and Jedd Whitmore.

Rock Hills: Elizabeth Meyer, Karigan Dunstan, Jarrod Gillett, Jauclyn Lemke and Caden Slate.

The formation of the Nuckolls County Foundation began in 1980 with the incorporation date being May 20, 1981. It received it ‘tax exempt’ status from the Internal Revenue Service on September 15, 1981, a result of which is that any donations to the foundation are deductible for federal estate tax and income tax purposes.

As noted in its charter, the foundation is created, controlled and managed exclusively by persons in Nuckolls and Jewell counties, and is designed exclusively for charitable activities in the two counties.

Members of the 2021 board of directors are: John Hodge, Lois Sullivan, Eleanor Stiles, Keith Roe, Linda Eggers, Allen Ostdiek, Tom Jensen, Anna Hawley, Brad Worman, William Blauvelt, Evelyn Thompson and Darwin Valentine. Tom Gebers was appointed to fill the position of Evelyn Thompson who died this past year.

The history of the foundation notes the original board of directors donated “seed” money to get the foundation established. Over the years individual scholarship funds have been established by private citizens. Among them were: donations by Rena Clingman, Roy and Mildred Moore, Evelyn Harris, Diane Rose Sole, Roy and Velma Schiermeyer, Robert and Elizabeth Meyer, Jason Poole and Roy Equall. All donations are being used for Memorial scholarships.

The original board of directors in 1981 included Vernon E. Johnson, William A. Blauvelt, Wayne Garrison, Michael Corman, Lois Sullivan, Robert McIllece, David Downing, Dorman Clark, Steven Clabaugh, Eleanor Stiles, Keith Rose and Edwin J. Schultz.

In 1991 James B. Nichols donated a substantial amount to the foundation for the purpose of establishing a loan fund for college students in their junior, senior and post-graduate years to assist in their on-going education. The loans are interest free through school years, repayment upon graduation at a rate of 3 percent interest.

At the present time, the foundation manages more than $1.5 million in assets. The board of directors offered to aid attorneys, tax or financial professionals or any other person who wishes to name the Nuckolls County Foundation, Inc. as a devisee in wills or trusts or otherwise make contributions to the Nuckolls County Foundation, Inc.

Currently Anna Hawley serves as president and Lois Sullivan vice president of the foundation, both are from Superior. John Hodge of Nelson is secretary-treasurer.