by Judy Held, President, Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
You may have heard that being a generous person has all sorts of positive benefits, the bulk of which – are you ready for this — can result in added years to your life! This is actually supported by oodles of research, although I’ve not studied it firsthand. One has to wonder, though, if being generous hasn’t been one of the contributing factors to the long and well-lived years of a very special couple in Miles City – Bob and Agnes Cremer.
Amazingly, Bob and Agnes both turned 100 years old in February of this year. Born just eight days apart, the Cremers have enjoyed 79 years of marriage and are still living at home together, members of Sacred Heart Parish in Miles City. Sacred Heart has been a very special part of their lives for, well, just about forever.
“We are real tight with Sacred Heart in Miles City,” Bob shared. “Both Agnes’ parents and my parents were buried at Sacred Heart. Agnes and I were married at Sacred Heart. All five of our children attended and graduated from Sacred Heart School. It was a very good education! Four of our five children were also married at Sacred Heart.”
This lifelong connection and love for their local Catholic parish and school is the reason Bob and Agnes make a planned gift every year to the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana. They designate their gifts to build the permanent, everlasting endowments for both their local parish and school.
By making their annual, endowed gifts through a “Charitable Deferred Gift Annuity” with the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana, the Cremers receive greatly enhanced tax benefits. While that surely is a nice bonus, their primary intention is to give back to God from their many blessings and help ensure that others will be able to worship at Sacred Heart Parish forever. Having the opportunity to receive a quality Catholic education at Sacred Heart School is something they hope never ends. “This is an important cause,” Agnes says. “Something we very much believe in and are happy to support.”
There are many ways to leave a legacy. Raising a family of five wonderful people (Sheila, Bob, Chuck, Craig, and Marc), and being grandparents to 14 and great grandparents to 20 is definitely something of which to be proud. Modeling a lifetime of faith, involvement, and love of neighbor is another way Bob and Agnes Cremer are leaving their mark on this world. Their generosity may have blessed them, yes, but it will also live on forever through all they say and do. The Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana is honored to have their support and grateful to be able to help Bob and Agnes secure a stable future for the Catholic faith in their community.
Inspired?
If you think you might be interested in making a gift that will not only help today but also secure a beautiful future for your parish, school, or favorite ministry (just like the Cremers in the story on this page), please get in touch with me. I would enjoy hearing what you’re most interested in regarding your support of the Catholic Church. I am happy to confidentially discuss your goals, both personal and financial. Together, we can come up with ideas that will best meet your objectives as they relate to our Catholic faith. I look forward to it – here is my contact information:
Judy Held, President
Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
PO Box 1345
Great Falls, MT 59403
(406) 315-1765
[email protected]
catholicfoundation.org
