Donors tell their stories

David Werner has plenty of memories from the Minnesota State Fair. There was the first year he showed livestock as a 4-H’er. His pig, a Duroc gilt, got sick and David was so worried that he spent most of the fair sitting in his pig’s pen. Then there was the time, years later, as an adult chaperone, he was looking forward to sleeping in one Sunday morning after a grueling schedule of early morning and late nights with the livestock encampment. He was awakened by a young 4-H’er who was concerned that David would miss breakfast. He still laughs about that one.

David’s wife, Linda, has plenty of 4-H stories of her own. Like David, she got her start with 4-H as a kid in Pipestone County, and has participated in the state fair as a 4-H exhibitor and judge. So when the couple was considering ways to give back, University of Minnesota Extension 4-H was at the top of their list. “It’s just been a big part of our lives, a part of shaping who we are and who we’ve become,” says David, who later worked as an Extension educator, district director, and finally as chief financial officer.

After discussing different ways of giving back to 4-H, the Werners settled on the state fair. David says that he and Linda see the fair as a culmination of a year’s work and a place for 4-H’ers to demonstrate what they’ve learned. They hope that their giving will enhance the state fair experience, helping a new generation of 4-H’ers create their own state fair memories.

This year, funds from the David and Linda Werner Endowment for 4-H State Fair Experiences will be used for the first time. The endowment provides scholarships to help 4-H’ers who couldn’t otherwise afford to attend and showcase their work. It takes hard work and dedication to qualify to go to the fair as a 4-H’er, and the Werners want to make sure that youth don’t lose that opportunity because of financial hardship. The endowment will also provide help for financial emergencies that arise at the fair for youth, families, volunteers or staff. Sometimes, the unexpected happens, and it’s more difficult to deal with away from home.

The Werners’ goal is to help make sure every 4-H’er has a fabulous state fair experience.

"Treat all people the same, no matter where they live.”

He may already have over 75 years of involvement in 4-H youth development, but Jim Kemp is thinking about the future. “I want to continue to expose teenagers to leadership opportunities, whether they live outside Hutchinson or in downtown Minneapolis,” says Kemp, a retiree who has spent his life in public service.

His gifts to the Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador program through University of Minnesota Extension will do just that. Minnesota 4-H State Ambassadors serve as spokespeople for 4-H to educate youth and adults about the importance of youth development, leadership, citizenship, service, teamwork and other life skills.

“We want to empower young people to think about ways that they can solve the world’s problems,” says Jacquie Lonning, Extension 4-H citizenship and leadership program director. “But in order to do that they need to learn to work together, understanding diverse perspectives.”

Madison Muir is a University of Minnesota student from Hallock, Minn., who served as a 4-H State Ambassador. “It was exciting to go from developing those skills in my first year to using the skills to lead a team in my second year,” she says. “I also had a chance to meet with Jim Kemp and share my ideas with him about opportunities he could support to make the program even better.”

Interest in reaching beyond himself

Growing up on a dairy farm in Colorado, Kemp’s earliest projects included dairy, turkeys, sheep and pigs, but he also found passions for forestry, foods and health. With the guidance of a county educator, he started a dog training club for kids in a nearby suburb in order to reach out beyond the farms.

“All young people need to present themselves, speak, find information, assemble and organize,” Kemp says. After he developed leadership skills as a Colorado 4-H’er, he went to work for 4-H in Colorado, then Pennsylvania, Indiana and eventually Minnesota.

It was in Philadelphia where his interest in reaching out beyond the farms gained strength. “We would go to the row houses, where the bricks had tumbled down,” he says. “We hauled away the bricks and built gardens. We used any space we could. One was a triangle of soil between the row houses and the railroad tracks. Kids would give tours of their garden and the train would go by.”

It didn’t take long after he arrived in Minnesota before he was gathering kids from across Minneapolis and starting urban gardens in Theodore Wirth Park, helped by donations of seeds by local companies. It was just one of his many initiatives that reached young people through Extension 4-H. In 2009, after countless lives touched, Kemp was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame.

Kemp’s commitment to 4-H will continue beyond his lifetime through the James C. Kemp 4-H Ambassador Endowment fund. In addition to his current gifts to his fund, he established four charitable gift annuities with the University of Minnesota Foundation, which pay him a fixed, guaranteed income for life. The remaining charitable gift annuity proceeds will benefit his endowment fund at the end of his lifetime.

Jean W. Bauer’s legacy of research and outreach with rural Minnesota families lives on thanks to funds contributed by Jean’s husband, Marvin Bauer, in her honor.

Jean was a faculty member and an Extension specialist in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development. The newest fund will create an endowment for research and teaching in family economics and policy by faculty with an Extension appointment in Jean’s former department.

Another fund, the Jean W. Bauer Fund in Family Financial Management, was created after Jean’s passing in 2012. It provides for Extension program initiatives in family financial literacy.

The new fund will ensure that Jean’s work helping families in Minnesota continues and grows through new research and education. Marv is confident that is what Jean would want. “She was dedicated to helping people, particularly in family resource management and economics, and taking research to the families of Minnesota,” he says.

As an Extension specialist, Jean led outreach and education programs in family resource management, including the development of Dollar Works, a nationally recognized Extension curriculum. Marv chose to include Extension work in the new college position because Extension was Jean’s passion and played a significant role in her career.

Everything was right at the University of Minnesota and Extension for Jean to develop and use her talents, Marv says. Her faculty position and her Extension appointment were two pieces of a whole that allowed her to research more effectively and use that research to serve the families of Minnesota.

Siblings Eldon Tessman and Elaine Christiansen support local 4-H projects through a generous endowment fund.

4-H is one of Dennis and Nancy Moeller's three great loves

The Moellers’ lives have been a testament to these passions. Dennis taught horticulture in the St. Paul public school system for more than a decade, then worked for the University of Minnesota Extension's 4-H youth development program in Wright County for 25 years. “Agriculture is so important, as complex a science as you can get,” he says. “4-H focuses on highly vocational, hands-on learning about agriculture. The kids and families couldn’t be more motivated.” 

Nancy, ’69 B.S.N., spent the early years of her nursing career in managerial roles. She worked for several Minneapolis hospitals and a private company before deciding to focus on what she’d always wanted to do—palliative care. “Every situation was unique, and I got back more than I ever gave,” says Nancy. “It’s caring for people at the other end of life and helping them make a journey to a different place.”

As for the marching band, it’s in Nancy’s DNA. Her father, a 1938 University of Minnesota graduate, was in the marching band, as were two of her brothers. “When we were growing up, Dad took us to the first indoor concert the marching band ever did,” she says. “Dennis and I have continued the tradition by attending many Gophers games. The pregame and halftime performances bring us great joy. I’m so proud of that band.” 

The Moellers’ estate gifts will support three areas. One will fund 4-H youth development programs near Minnesota’s Native nations as well as professional development experiences for Extension faculty and staff who serve these youth. The second will be a scholarship for nursing students interested in palliative care, research, or education. Another scholarship will support students in the marching band who are enrolled in the School of Nursing or the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences.

“Setting this up has been easy,” says Dennis. The couple talked with their lawyer, then got connected to a development officer at the University of Minnesota Foundation. “She’s done a phenomenal job of guiding us and putting a structure in place that reflects our wishes,” says Nancy.

Ingrid Bey

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Detectors 

I volunteer for the AIS Detectors Program because I am an avid outdoor enthusiast and I wanted to do my small part to help protect our natural world by protecting our lakes, rivers, and watersheds. I really enjoy working together with people in the community, fellow AIS Detectors. the Kabekona Lake Association (KLA), and the Hubbard County Coalition of Lake Associations. I consider myself a life-long learner, so I also enjoy keeping myself up-to-date through the many wonderful webinars and seminars that are offered through the AIS Detectors Program and University of Minnesota Extension. I have received more than I have given and I have enjoyed every minute!

 I support the AIS Detectors Program because I think it is important to financially support things that I am passionate about. I know they will be good stewards of my contributions and I know that I can make a meaningful impact on the good work that they do.

Beverly Blomgren 

Minnesota Master Naturalist 

I volunteer for the Minnesota Master Naturalist program because it supports my desire to learn more about our natural world and to implement and teach environmental practices. I have developed a native prairie garden in my yard, I monitor milkweed for monarch butterflies in a city park (with Monarch Joint Venture in Falcon Heights), and I have led young children on nature walks.

I have received so much from this program! Besides multiple trainings and classes, I have made new friends with whom I share ideas. I feel I’m part of something bigger than myself and have benefitted from the expertise and enthusiasm of the leaders as well as participants. I feel hopeful about the future when I know University of Minnesota Extension is training more and more people throughout our state to explore, teach and conserve. By supporting this program I am living in hope and faith that this good work will go on throughout our state for years to come.

Deb Tomczyk

Minnesota Master Gardeners

What is more beautiful than a well-maintained garden full of gorgeous flowers, trees, shrubs and/or vegetables? I've loved nature and particularly gardening since I was a child. But the gardening problems I ran into as an adult needed something more than just the ongoing aesthetic revamping. Why didn't certain plants come back in the spring? Why did some plants and shrubs not grow at all? How could I possibly afford to continue to purchase Japanese maples and have them die over the winter? What ate that Hosta?

The answer to all that was the research-based information in the Extension Master Gardener program. There were informative examples, trials and valuable pieces of research and people to help me answer my questions. Fortunately for me, I found this wealth of information to be both supportive and helpful. It more than sustained my efforts with various plants and trees. My gardens were now returning each spring, and I was so excited to be able to share all kinds of information with others as well.  I continue to learn and teach as a volunteer as the research also continues to develop new and better ways of sustaining our landscapes and gardens. I volunteer for the Master Gardener program because it is such a worthwhile and necessary mission.

Supporting the Master Gardener program has brought me great friendships and has enhanced my gardening skills a thousand-fold; but I believe it has only just begun to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for the future of gardening in Minnesota. The research necessary to respond quickly and correctly to climate change, soil erosion, water pollution, and other challenging horticulture concerns requires the support from all of us coping with the impact of the same. I'm looking forward to responding to each new challenge as they come along both financially when I can and through my volunteer work with Master Gardeners particularly "growing" more volunteers as well. 

Vicki Chepulis

Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RDSP)

I volunteer for RSDP because it connects me to others who are committed to finding innovative solutions that make our communities sustainable - creating places where people thrive. 

One of my core beliefs is that when we work together, we can solve problems that impede progress in our immediate communities and the world at large. Working together is what RSDP is all about - it’s right there in their name - Regional Sustainable Development PARTNERSHIPS. Through my role as Work Group member, Regional Board member and Statewide Coordinating Committee member, I witness the impact that happens when engaged citizens and organizations from every corner of Minnesota partner with the resources, as well as the faculty and students, of the University of Minnesota. These collaborations yield results that have real-world, real-time impact.

My involvement with RSDP has enriched me both personally and professionally. I’m always learning, connecting with intelligent, curious, and capable people, both staff and fellow volunteers. Thanks to RSDP I’m more aware of issues facing other MN citizens and the ways we are working together to improve life for all.

I know how much students benefit from working on community-based sustainability projects in their field of study, so I am grateful for the opportunity to support the Mary J. Page Community-University Partnerships Fund. The hands-on experience students receive significantly benefits the students, as well as the communities in which they work.

Ruth Clark

Minnesota 4-H Shooting Sports and Wildlife 

Kaposia Kids 4-H club (Dakota County)

I was in 4-H for a few years in my teens. Fifteen years later I was a homeschooling mom and knew 4-H would be a good augmentation to our schooling. My daughters became very active at the club and county levels. At times hubby was frustrated with how busy we were with 4-H stuff, but when he discovered the shooting sports project, that all changed and we truly became a 4-H family. I became active at the county level and met so many people that helped me grow. When my oldest was 20, we had a surprise daughter and I was in 4-H for another 20 years! She is now in college in Wisconsin and more than once a 4-H t-shirt has opened a door to meet someone new on campus. She got involved on the National level as a National Shooting Sports and Wildlife Ambassador.

As I considered when I should step down, I realized that 4-H has given much to our family and, while I have been serving in many leadership positions in the last 35 years, I still can contribute. I have four grandkids in our club — the 5-year-old gave his first demonstration last week. How exciting is that?
 

Julie Tesch 

Minnesota 4-H Council and 4-H Alum

Why do I volunteer for 4-H? Without involved volunteers there wouldn't be a 4-H program.  We rely on volunteers for club meetings, project training, after school programs, county fairs and the list goes on.  As a 4-H'er in the 80's & 90's I was fortunate to have several involved, caring adult volunteers throughout my 4-H experience.  Our club leaders of the Waldorf Peppy Peppers put in countless hours making sure that we had an exceptional experience learning how to run meetings, learning new skills and helping our community.  I see the commitment that these volunteers made to help better my life and I want to give back in the same way.  I may not be leading a 4-H club, but I am able to help with community service, county fairs and project meetings. 

Why do I support 4-H?  Having been an Extension Educator myself, I know first hand how much it costs to run a successful 4-H program.  The goal is to always make 4-H activities attainable for any youth to participate, no matter the cost, but that doesn't always happen.  The price of everything goes up over time and what used to be an affordable price to go to 4-H camp is no longer that way.  I support 4-H at the county and state levels because I don't want any young person denied the opportunity to be involved in 4-H because they don't have the monetary means.  All youth should be able to have a positive, action packed 4-H experience if they want one.  I'm happy to make that happen in a small way.