MOOSE CHARITIES
Forward in the Good, Onward in the Right

Leave a Legacy of Care, Through Your Will

Man Welcomes Aunt’s Bequest of $71K to Mooseheart

By DOUGLAS ANDERSON
Director of Philanthropy, Moose Charities

> It was early on a Friday morning. I was just settling down at my desk to begin the workday when the phone rang. On the line was Harold Wilkerson of Fort Wayne, IN, representative of the estate of the late Eleanore K. Goll, a Fort Wayne woman who died on Christmas Day, 2003 at age 86.

Mr. Wilkerson, who was Mrs. Goll’s nephew, told me that he was holding a large check from the estate that his aunt had stipulated to benefit Mooseheart Child City & School. Instead of placing it into the mail, though, he said, he wanted to deliver it personally the following Friday. The longer I spoke with him, the more the excitement of giving the funds to Mooseheart showed through his voice. Finally, he asked if it would be possible for him to come that very afternoon. I told him that he was more than welcome.

Later in the day, when Harold Wilkerson and his wife arrived at our Moose Charities offices, he told us the story of how his Aunt Eleanore was a frugal person who believed in the work of Mooseheart—of which she had learned through the Moose membership of her late husband (who died in 1975). He also expressed his own personal pride that she chose to give the bulk of her estate to Mooseheart.

As Mrs. Goll’s nephew, and as the representative of her estate, Mr. Wilkerson and his wife would likely otherwise have received a significant bequest from the estate—but now those funds were coming to Mooseheart. But instead of being resentful, Mr. Wilkerson said he was glad to come to Mooseheart to present the check—in excess of $71,000.

After presenting the check, the Wilkersons were given a tour of the 1,000-acre Mooseheart campus. During their visit, they said they had become even more convinced that Mrs. Goll had made the right decision with her donation. They were impressed with the exceptional care, excellent schooling and wonderful family environment provided to all 200-plus children who live and study at Mooseheart.

If you would like more information on how to include Mooseheart—or the Moosehaven retirement community in Florida—in your bequest or codicil, please contact me personally at 630/966-2200, ext. 6224. Just like Eleanore Goll, you too can leave a legacy to Mooseheart’s children or Mooseheart’s seniors by making a charitable contribution in your will. There are several methods to give:

• A specific dollar amount;
• A specific piece of real estate, such as a house;
• A percentage of your estate;
• A percentage of what remains after providing for family or friends; and,
• A gift for a specific purpose, such as renovating a Mooseheart or Moosehaven residence.

If you already have a will in place but still would like to remember Mooseheart or Moosehaven—again, please contact us, and we’ll show you how to use a codicil to achieve your goal—while maintaining your current will.