Wilbur R. Deiters was an extremely private person, yet very kind and very friendly in a quiet way. Born and raised in La Porte, he was the only child of Henry and Minnie Deiters, German citizens who immigrated to the United States in the 1920s. Wilbur had a BS degree from Indiana University and worked most of his life as a metallurgist in Illinois, eventually returning to La Porte in his retirement. He was a faithful member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and volunteered many hours at the church’s thrift shop. An antique lover and collector, Wilbur amassed a beautiful collection of beer steins.*

In May 2014, Wilbur passed away at age 84. Though he wasn’t previously known to Unity Foundation, we were very pleased to receive word from his estate telling us of his thoughtful and generous inclusion of the Unity Foundation County-wide Scholarship in his will.

“At Unity, we encourage people to leave at least 5% or a nickel of every dollar of their estate to Unity— forever. Because if everyone who could, would leave 5%, then La Porte County would be stronger in the future.  We are humbled that Mr. Deiters left more than a nickel!  We will honor him at our 2015 scholarship reception and wish he could have been there to meet the student’s he’ll be helping.”

The County Wide Scholarship was begun by the Unity Board of Directors in 2007 to give people an easy way to support college education and to help students regardless of which high school they attended.  The fund has grown slowly so Mr. Dieters’ gift will allow us to boost awards from 2 per year to 12 per year!   With the number of qualified applicants growing yearly, his gift comes at a critical time.

Like many other organizations, Unity Foundation is incredibly appreciative of planned gifts as they are often the easiest way for people and families to make their largest gift. And planned gifts don’t just benefit the charity, they benefit the donors themselves.  How? Estate gifts allow people to do more than they ever thought possible for others now and in for future generations and even saving tax dollars!

To learn what Mr. Deiters’ found out, feel free to contact us for ideas- online at unity@uflc.net or call (219) 879-0327. Maggi Spartz, Unity President, or Warren Ransom, Professional Advisor Liaison, would be happy to assist you and your professional advisor.

Related Articles:
Planned Giving: the generous, passionate, and smart thing to do
Make Sure Your Bequest is Actually Given

*Upon his death, Mr. Deiters’ beer stein collection was donated to the Athenaeum Foundation, a German cultural foundation, in Indianapolis.