|
Evelyn Wanke (continued)
In 1960, the Wankes leased, then bought, land near her parents. Eventually, they raised cattle and grain on about 6,000 acres. Evelyn learned to drive a tractor, and the pair worked the farm as a team.
"Harold had a lot of talent. He had things thought out before they ever happened. I admired him, admired his abilities."
| The Wankes never attended college, but MSU students will long benefit from their vision. |
Evelyn said Harold was the first farmer in the area to haul grain with his own semi-truck and that he was quick to adopt strip farming to reduce soil erosion. After they sold their cattle and could travel, he saw air seeders in Australia and told Evelyn, "That's the future." The Wankes were featured on the cover of Seeding Today in 1994. To this day, the cover photo of the two of them in work clothes is one of Evelyn's favorites.
When an acquaintance asked Harold to buy stock in the Independence Bank of Havre, he did. And when others wanted to sell their stock, he borrowed to buy it rather than let the stock go to an out-of-state bank. In 2003, Evelyn realized that the stock had appreciated so much that estate taxes might make it impossible for her nieces to keep the homestead. That problem was solved when she worked with a consultant to set up a charitable remainder trust.
Jeff Jacobsen, dean of MSU's College of Agriculture, said that Wanke's $2.7 million gift is the largest single donation to date for the $15.65 million Animal Bioscience Building. Construction on the 40,000-square-foot building will begin in May.
"Mrs. Wanke's gift is instrumental in making this building project a reality," Jacobsen said.
In addition to her gift to MSU, Wanke also gave Concordia College a $2 million contribution and set aside $300,000 for Montana's Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp.
Wanke said it is difficult to explain what it's like to give away so much money, other than that the gifts are simply an expression of "gratitude to my Lord."
For more information on creative ways to give, contact Melanie Bury Schell at the MSU Foundation, (406) 994-2053 or mschell@montana.edu. To donate to the College of Agriculture, contact Sandra Germann, (406) 994-7671 or sgermann@montana.edu.
> Spring 2008 Contents
|
Email this article
