Donor Stories

Lauretta Borgman

Lauretta Borgman has had to endure a lot of change throughout her life. But with this change, she has remained a positive influence to those around her. Lauretta's father died when she was just 11 years old, leaving her and her mother to tend to a farm. At the age of 17, she married Ralph Baatz. After 19 years of marriage, he passed away of a massive heart attack. Lauretta then married Clyde Borgman and they had nearly 40 happy years together until Clyde passed away in 1996. As she looked back on her life, Lauretta decided that she wanted to honor the many family members that had been there for her during her times of need. To do this, Lauretta has established six different scholarship funds at the Community Foundation in their honor. Having been a life-long resident of Switzerland County, she is also able to give back to the community she so dearly loves.

Hannah Grace Klein

Hannah Grace Klein was born with a passion for life. This passion became more evident when on the eve of her first birthday, she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She endured chemotherapy treatments and a bone marrow transplant with grace and dignity and made the best of every day, even when she didn't feel well. After being in remission for 16 months, Hannah suffered a relapse and died at the age of three in 2006. Jeff & Bobbi Klein, Hannah's parents, decided they wanted to preserve her memory by establishing a fund in the Community Foundation of Switzerland County. The Klein's stated that they received a great deal of support during Hannah's illness and wanted to provide assistance to families from Jefferson and Switzerland counties, as well as surrounding counties, dealing with childhood cancer. The endowment that they created in the Community Foundation will allow them to accomplish their goals and will allow Hannah's name to live on forever.

George A. Robbins

In 2000, Amanda (Deveary) White was one of the Community Foundation's Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipients. She went to Butler University and upon graduation, became a pharmacist. Amanda knew that some important people had played a role in her success as an adult. First, her stepfather, George Robbins, was instrumental in ensuring that she went to college. His constant support provided a stable environment that allowed her to flourish. Second, the Community Foundation had chosen her as a Lilly Scholar, meaning that four years of her tuition and required fees were paid for. This financial assistance allowed her to concentrate on her studies and not worry so much about the cost of college. So in 2006 after Amanda had been out on her own for a couple of years, she decided to her honor her stepfather's memory by establishing a fund in the Community Foundation. The George A. Robbins Memorial Fund is an acorn fund that Amanda and her husband, Doug, donate to each month so that it can grow to $5,000. Once it reaches this amount, it will start awarding grants and Amanda and Doug will decide each year what charitable projects they would like to fund.

Bernice Hart Demaree

Bernice Hart Demaree's love of education inspired her husband, Harold, to establish a fund in her memory when she died in April of 1988. Mrs. Demaree had been a teacher in the Switzerland County School Corporation for 42 years prior to her death. Harold decided that Bernice would be honored to think that a scholarship would be awarded each year at Switzerland County High School in her memory. Though Mrs. Demaree is gone, her fund continues to impact students in Switzerland County each year.

Wilma Firsich

Being from Switzerland County, Wilma Firsich knew that she wanted to do something for her home community. After exploring her options, she decided that the Community Foundation's offer of a charitable gift annuity sounded like a good one. She would receive an income stream for the rest of her life and a tax deduction on a portion of her gift. Wilma states "I am pleased to know that my gift will be used to continue to address the changing needs of Switzerland County forever."

Roger & Bev Parrott

Roger & Bev Parrott have always been involved with their community. Both of their vocations had them serving the public. Roger is the pastor of the Aberdeen United Methodist Church, while Bev retired in 2000 after teaching for 36 years. Because of their love of the Switzerland County community, Roger & Bev decided to establish a scholarship fund at the Community Foundation. Named the Roger & Bev Parrott Scholarship Fund, it will award scholarships to those individuals who are currently in the teaching profession and want to further their education or to those individuals that are pursuing a degree in education for the first time. Roger & Bev stated "We feel strongly about community service and about giving back to our community. We feel that education is the bridge between our youth and the betterment of our community. Because Bev taught in Switzerland County for so many years, it is our hope that we can help a student to train for the teaching profession, hopefully to return to the county to teach."

Jim Alexander

It has been said of Jim Alexander that "Rarely does one so fine pass by." He was known as a man of integrity that truly cared about people - one that was always thinking of others and trying to help his fellow man.

When Jim passed away of cancer at the end of 2003, his wife, Jane and daughters Sheri, Laura, & Christy thought it was important to honor him by helping others since they knew Jim was known in the community for his willingness to always help. Jane also thought it would be a good opportunity for others to learn from Jim’s fine example.

Jim's family decided to establish a fund in the Community Foundation that would allow them to make recommendations to the Foundation's board each year on projects that they would like to fund. Because Jim loved his farm and the agricultural community, the first project that the family worked on was purchasing agricultural books and materials for the public library. The following year, the family decided to make a grant that would help the local FFA students with their annual Farmer's Breakfast.

Jim's fund will continue to have an impact on Switzerland County and his family believes he would be truly honored to think that they continue to do what he was so good at- helping others.

Lynn Bear

Lynn Bear was a true Switzerland County native, having spent his entire life here. It was his love of the county that enabled his family to decide to memorialize him by doing something that would benefit his community.

Lynn graduated from Switzerland County High School and was employed as a painter and insulator for the majority of his working years. He enjoyed old cars, working in his yard, boating, and working on his classic 1968 Corvette, which won him many cars show awards.

In 2000, Lynn suffered a massive heart attack and died at the young age of 49, leaving behind his wife, Vicki, and two sons - Allan & Todd. Because Allan worked at the local funeral home, he had a close relationship with the Community Foundation and knew that memorial gifts were sometimes directed to the Foundation. This knowledge led the family to establish a fund in Lynn's memory called the Lynn Bear Memorial Fund. Memorial gifts were directed to the fund so that many friends and family members were a part of creating the fund.

The fund allows Lynn's immediate family to decide each year which charitable programs and projects in Switzerland County they want to fund. Since they were the ones that knew Lynn best, it allows them to honor him and also do good in the county that he so dearly loved.

Kevin McSwain

Back in 1998, Russell McSwain knew the Community Foundation of Switzerland County better than most people. He did because he was a founding board member of the newly-formed nonprofit organization. The knowledge he gained about community foundations made him realize that he could establish a fund that would allow his son's name to live on forever, as well as help his community.

Kevin McSwain was known for his smile. He made friends easily and enjoyed the warmth of his family. While in high school, he was very active in the band, as well as many other extra-curricular activities. After graduating from Switzerland County High School in 1981, Kevin received a degree from Vincennes University. While playing basketball in March of 1989, Kevin died suddenly from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a disease where the muscle of the heart thickens for unknown reasons. He was 26 years of age.

Russell and his wife, Vera, had always known that they wanted to do something special to memorialize Kevin but they never knew exactly what to do. It was Russell's experience at the Community Foundation that allowed them to know exactly what to do. They wanted to establish a lasting memorial that would benefit something that Kevin had a great love for.

Since the McSwain's were impressed with the accomplishments of the Switzerland County High School Band and they knew Kevin held the Band dear to his heart, they established an endowment in 1999 that would make yearly grants to the Band to be used for expenses incurred outside of the regular school budget. And since the fund is an endowment, or permanent fund, it will continue to memorialize Kevin forever.

Scott Welch

The Welch Family is known in Switzerland County for their love of the land. For several generations, they have dedicated their lives to farming.

Scott Welch was no exception. He participated in the Switzerland County Future Farmers of America (FFA) program while in high school and went on to become a full-time farmer. In fact, it was Scott's grandfather, Gary, who founded the FFA program in Switzerland County many years back.

Participating in FFA provided Scott with leadership skills that continually benefited him as a farmer. Because of this positive experience, Scott remained active with the FFA program by serving on the Advisory Board. He was so passionate about the cause that each year, he would solicit donations for the FFA's soybean fields. In addition, he truly enjoyed working with the FFA students and would often attend national and state conventions with them.

Unfortunately, it was when Scott was doing what he loved - farming - that he died in a tragic accident in 2001 at the age of 41. His wife, Cindy, and his children knew just how to honor him- by establishing a fund that would award scholarships each year to FFA students to encourage them to further their educations.

While Scott is no longer with us, his scholarship fund is helping many Switzerland County FFA students with their educations and we believe that would make him proud.

Newell Fox & Mickey Lamson

Newell Fox's memories of a strong friendship he shared with Mickey Lamson led him to establish an endowment honoring their bond. Newell and Mickey were the best of friends. They grew up together, went to school together, and played basketball together. Mickey died at a young age and Newell continued to have fond memories of the bond that they shared. In 1998, Newell decided to establish a scholarship in the Community Foundation with both of their names on it as a tribute to their friendship. Newell states "I know that Mickey smiles down from heaven as he watches me try to give something back to Switzerland County because the county gave us both so much."

Nelson Burley

Nelson Burley believed that everybody should have the opportunity to get a proper education. His wife, Dorothy, said that he always stressed to their three children the importance of getting an education. Because of his persistence and their hard work, they all went on to become successful adults. Nelson himself worked hard throughout his life, as he was a World War II marine veteran and retired from the Jefferson Proving Grounds and farming. When Nelson died in 2000, Dorothy established a scholarship fund in his name at the Community Foundation. She and her children thought that the scholarship would honor Nelson and something he believed strongly in, which was education.

Debbie Minch

Debbie Minch was a very caring individual who loved children. She taught Sunday School at her local church and when her work schedule didn't allow her to be there on Sundays, she would always make sure that she did whatever she could in advance, such as having the craft projects ready. Debbie died at the age of 45 from a car accident in 2002 and her mother, Shelby, established a fund in the Foundation to memorialize her. Since the Minch family lived on and tended to a farm all of their lives, Shelby decided to set up the fund so that each year, a grant would be awarded to assist the Switzerland County FFA Chapter in attending the Washington DC Leadership Conference. Shelby believes that Debbie would be honored to think that her fund is helping the young people that she so dearly loved.