Donor Corner
Bachelor Farmers Deliver the
Harvest
Arthur W. Anderson, and his
brother Walter S. Anderson, left LSS a major bequest recently. They had
agreed that on the death of the remaining brother, part of their estate
would be given to LSS.
Arthur Anderson was born in
1908, and his brother, Walter, in 1910, in rural Lyon County, Minnesota.
They lived in the family farmhouse and worked with their father on the
family farm as children and young men. As adults, neither man chose to
marry but, instead, shared a country home.
Their careers and interests
centered on farming, and the brothers continued to farm until they were
nearly 80 years old. They enjoyed living in their country home and
watching the crops grow and flourish.
These gentlemen were polite
and kind. They were appreciative of the gifts they had and of small favors
done by others on their behalf. They were members of the "Over 60 Band"
and performed in nursing homes and at community functions. In their home
were a piano, violin, accordion and clarinet. They gardened, they read the
paper, and they kept up-to-date with sporting teams and local and world
events.
Their lives were not free from
adversity. As a teenager, Walt lost his leg in a threshing accident. They
cared for a sister who had special needs and who lived with them until she
was elderly. Art struggled with a severe hearing loss in his later years.
But they never allowed these things to interfere with the work that needed
to be done or the social and community events that they enjoyed.
They were happiest living a
simple lifestyle. They liked to learn about new things, but did not have a
desire to possess many of the material goods that give others pleasure.
They were very content with their life and did the things that were of
interest to them. They loved people, they loved God, and they loved life.
They thought of themselves as ordinary people, and many will be surprised
by the amount of wealth they amassed over many years of hard work and
solid investing strategies.
Both Art and Walt lived to be
over 90 years old. In their last years, when health became an issue, their
minister asked if they had planned their funerals. Their response was: "We
aren't planning on going yet."
Yet they did plan to give a
sizeable gift to LSS when they died. Their gift will become part of the
LSS Foundation's Endowment, interest which helps to fund the work of LSS
when there are emergencies or special needs.
Thanks to Carol Hruby, Vice
President, Bremer/Bank Trust, Marshall, Minnesota. She helped compile this
article.
