Generous gift is Community Foundation’s largest ever bequest
The Hutchinson Community Foundation, the heart of philanthropy in Reno County and a leader in strategic giving for Reno County philanthropists, announced today it has received $4 million from the estate of Mrs. Estella E. Lewis, the largest bequest in the Foundation’s history.
“We are truly honored and humbled by this gift,” said Aubrey Abbott Patterson, President of Hutchinson Community Foundation. “Mr. & Mrs. Lewis cared deeply for the Hutchinson community and their generosity will continue to benefit people in our community for years to come.”
The approximate $4 million bequest will establish the Philip E. & Estella E. Lewis Endowed Fund, from which annual grants will be made to the following: American Red Cross of Reno County, Cancer Council of Reno County, Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center Foundation, Hutchinson First Nazarene Church, Mid-America Nazarene College, General Board of the Church of the Nazarene, and Salvation Army of Hutchinson. A portion of the annual grants will also go the Fund for Hutchinson, for unrestricted giving, to meet the changing needs of the community.
“Philip and Estella loved this community and the people in it. They did well financially and wished to leave a valuable legacy to the community,” said Commerce Bank trust officer, Dell Marie Shanahan Swearer.
Estella & Phillip Lewis
Estella Schrock was born in 1904 on a farm seven miles southwest of Sterling. The youngest of five children, Estella’s most fond childhood memories included riding the family carriage to church, playing “house” and school,” and doing typical farm chores like rising early to milk the cows. She attended Union 5 School, Hutchinson High School and Bresee Business College. After college Estella took a job in California, but it wasn’t until she returned to Hutchinson in 1927 to tend to her ill father that she crossed paths with her future husband, Philip Lewis.
In the early 1930s Estella was hired as a secretary at United Power and Light. Visits from the handsome bookkeeper in the office next door were a little too frequent and lengthy to be merely about business. That bookkeeper turned out to be Philip Lewis, and he and Estella were married at her parents’ home in 1937. Not long after, the couple moved to the home they built on Monroe Street, where they spent all of their 49 years of marriage.
Philip served as the Vice President of Borten for more than 30 years. When he and Estella weren’t working, he convinced her to pursue his love of traveling. They traveled all around the world, but Estella named the South Pacific as her favorite place to visit. Philip died in 1986, but Estella continued to drive her car and live in her own home until she was 97. She walked two miles a day until she was 102 and passed away in 2013 at the age of 108.
The couple shared a passion for community involvement and showed their support through several charitable causes. In the forefront is the First Church of the Nazarene in Hutchinson, where Estella served as a secretary for “practically all her life.” It was there that she felt at home and was able to sing her favorite song, “Amazing Grace.” Currently, there is a gymnasium on the church grounds named the “Lewis Center.”
Dr. Douglas Ball said of his great aunt, “Estelle was a lovely, lovely person. A true Christian in the ultimate sense. She was a big supporter of the Salvation Army. My great uncle Phil brought me into the Optimist Club where we rang bells for the Salvation Army as one of our service projects. After Phil passed away, Estelle still gave me a check to put in the bucket each year– and it was a substantial check.”
The Lewises spent the majority of their lives in the Hutchinson area and are leaving a valuable legacy to the community through their philanthropic gifts. Their generosity will be felt for decades to come.
“Philip & Estella’s generosity is an amazing example of how a commitment to giving back can have a powerful, ongoing effect on the community for generations,” said Marilyn Bolton, board chair.
Legacy Funds
“This substantial bequest underscores the confidence our donors and their professional advisors place in the Community Foundation as responsible, knowledgeable stewards of charitable assets,” said Aubrey Abbott Patterson. “The Lewis gift will provide critical support to organizations in Reno County.”
Hutchinson Community Foundation: Making Generosity More Powerful
For nearly 25 years, Hutchinson Community Foundation has been working to multiply the impact of charitable giving by connecting community members, nonprofits, and other partners to brighten the future of Hutchinson and Reno County through philanthropy.
In addition to a community endowment called the Fund for Hutchinson, Hutchinson Community Foundation currently holds $45 million in more than 300 funds established by individuals, families, and businesses in Reno County, allowing everyone to make a powerful difference in our community in their own unique way.
Hutchinson Community Foundation works with individuals, families and professional advisors to engage and educate citizens about the issues affecting our community and how to make a greater impact with charitable giving. The Foundation provides administrative support and fiscal stewardship, encourages innovative thinking and shares community knowledge.
For more information on establishing a charitable fund as part of your estate plans, contact Aubrey Patterson, President, at 620-663-5293, or visit www.HutchCF.org.