Grace Groner grew up in another tough, economic climate – the Great Depression. Like many of her peers, she learned to live frugally. But unlike most of her peers, Grace managed to stock away 7 million dollars, and that untouched fortune is going to help a lot of kids in her community get an education.
If you’d met Grace Groner, you would never have guessed she was a wealthy woman. She got her clothes from rummage sales. She walked instead of driving. Her one bedroom house in Lake Forest Illinois had a few plain pieces of furniture, mismatched dishes and a TV set that was several decades old itself.
She had already started a small scholarship program at her alma mater, Lake Forest College. When she passed away at age 100 in January, her attorney told the college president exactly how much more she’d left the school in her will.
“Oh, my god,” was the president’s response. Groner made a very lucky $180 stock purchase in 1935. 75 years later it was worth $7 million dollars, and she left that money to Lake Forest College to help the students there find opportunity in a time with opportunity is increasingly harder to find.
The foundation that will be established with Grace’s money will help Lake Forest’s 1,300 students take internships and study abroad – experiences that many of them would never have had without her help.
Grace Groner’s fortune wasn’t just born of luck. She reinvested her money thoughtfully through the years and, though she didn’t shell out for little luxuries, traveled widely after she retired from the secretarial job she worked for 35 years. She also gave to her neighbors, though always anonymously. ”She was very sensitive to people not having a whole lot,” said her Pastor, Kent Kinney. “Grace would see those people, would know them, and she would make gifts.”
75% of the student body of Lake Forest is on financial aid, so Grace’s unexpected gift will give many of them chances to see the world and get better, more exciting jobs that they never expected to have. Her little house has also been donated to the college, and will be used for house for women who receive scholarships from her foundation. It will be called “Grace’s Cottage.”
Image of Grace Groner’s home by Chicago Tribune’s Chris Walke
Comments
Grace Gone
March 5th, 2010 - 12:38:12 PM
I lived a wasteful life and a pathetic existence. You all must be thankful that I am " Goner " . Hell awaits me with open arms. Screw you all !!
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