Fergus Falls Area Dollars For Scholars

LEGACY SCHOLARSHIPS

Legacy Donors have contributed $25,000 or more to create a named scholarship that is awarded annually.

Bechtel Memorial Scholarships

Lillian Bechtel began teaching 11th grade world history at Fergus Falls High School in 1944 and is remembered as a caring teacher who had high expectations for her students. In 1966, two years before she retired, she was named Teacher of the Year in Fergus Falls and at the state level was honored as a Teacher of Excellence. Mrs. Bechtel had a special interest in exposing students to other cultures. Education was a passion shared by Mrs. Bechtel and her husband, Edward, who was principal at Fergus Falls High School until his retirement in 1970. She died in March 2003. This scholarship was created in the fall of 2003.

Henry and Elizabeth Cowles Memorial Scholarship

Lillian Henry Cowles and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to Fergus Falls in the late 1940s when he began work at Otter Tail Power Co. The couple remained in the community following Mr. Cowles’ retirement. This scholarship is designated for a student pursuing a career in engineering and was awarded for the first time in 2008.

Eagles Aerie #2339 Scholarships

The Eagles Aerie #2339 established a scholarship in 1995 to assist a graduating senior with his or her post-secondary education. The organization has made ongoing donations since that year.

Fergus Falls Educators Scholarship

The In 2007, members of the Fergus Falls Education Association and fellow School District 544 educators created this scholarship with their share of the proceeds from a tobacco lawsuit settlement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Sample Memorial

The Sample family established this scholarship in memory of Thomas H. and Alexander K. Sample. Thomas Sample was a Red River Valley farmer who valued education and understood community commitment to support area schools.

Along with the Dollars for Scholars criteria, this scholarship is awarded based on a combination of need and realization of academic potential. The Sample Memorial Scholarship was one of the initial Dollars for Scholars scholarships and has been awarded every year since 1992.

Dr. Frank Veden

Dr. Frank Veden was a dentist who practiced for many years in Fergus Falls. He loved the community and left his estate to fund a wide variety of projects that benefit Fergus Falls. He was also a staunch supporter of education, and the Veden Scholarship was created to support community youth as they pursue higher educational goals. The first scholarship was awarded in 1999.

HERITAGE SCHOLARSHIPS

The Bakkens, both graduates of Fergus Falls High School, are lifelong community residents who are recognized for their support of education, the arts and a wide variety of projects that have improved their community. Their charter donation to Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars in 1991 helped to support the first scholarship awards in 1992.

Beverly Gerhardson Paulson and her husband, Lloyd, created this scholarship in memory of her father, Helmer Otto Gerhardson, a 1927 graduate of Fergus Falls High School. Mr. Gerhardson was an administrator at the Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center for 30 years, and later at Brainerd Regional State Hospital and School. The scholarship is being awarded for the first time in 2006.

Beverly Gerhardson Paulson and her husband, Lloyd, created this scholarship in memory of her brother, a 1951 Fergus Falls High School graduate who worked in health care. The scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2007 to a student going into a health care field.

Edna Dierich Hagen’s love of children was apparent during her 45-year teaching career and in the scholarship donation she bequeathed prior to her death in April 2004. Dierich Hagen taught in the area before she began teaching elementary school in Fergus Falls in the mid-1950s. Her scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2005.

This scholarship is a result of a grant request completed by two Fergus Falls High School science teachers, Earle Eggen and Paul Anderson, in the early 1990s. They were awarded $10,000 from International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation to invest for scholarships for students interested in math or science. At the time, the chief executive officer of ITT was Fergus Falls High School graduate Rand Araskog. In 1999, the Fergus Falls School District transferred the funds to Dollars for Scholars for scholarships for students interested in pursuing a career in either math or science.

The recipient is selected by the Dollars for Scholars criteria with the additional guidelines listed above.

Eleanor “Babe” Keane Johnson was a lifelong resident of Fergus Falls. She graduated from Fergus Falls High School and was an active member of the community until age 101. Mrs. Johnson was dedicated to health and fitness, maintained a keen interest in world events and wanted young people in the Fergus Falls community to have the opportunity to continue their education beyond high school. The scholarship was established in 2002.

The recipient must be a Fergus Falls High School graduate with a minimum GPA of 3.0, and must have been a member of the Fergus Falls high School Swim Team for a minimum of three years. If no such worthy student qualifies, then the award shall be given to ANY deserving student, or may be awarded in a subsequent year.

Lake Region Healthcare Corporation is a charter donor to Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars. Its initial donation funded scholarships awarded in the first year of the program. It has continued to contribute to the foundation in subsequent years. This scholarship has been awarded every year since 1992 to a student planning to enter a health care field.

The recipient is selected by the Dollars for Scholars criteria with the additional guidelines listed above.

This scholarship, which will be awarded for the first time in 2009, was created to support students enrolling in either a nursing program or the medical lab technician program at Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Fergus Falls.

The recipient is selected by the Dollars for Scholars criteria with the additional guidelines listed above.

Anna Nelson was a proud Otter and an enthusiastic percussionist in the band programs at Fergus Falls High School, graduating in 2002. After her death in a car accident in 2004, a scholarship was created in her memory, with the award given annually to a Fergus Falls High School student who has participated in the school’s band program. The scholarship is being awarded for the first time this year.

The recipient is selected by the Dollars for Scholars criteria with the additional guidelines listed above.

Paul and Mary Ann Anderson honored their daughter, who died in 1987, with the creation of this scholarship, which is designated for a student planning a career in music. Nord was a biology teacher, but she loved music and participated in band and choir at Fergus Falls High School and in college. It is being awarded for the first time in 2009.

Mark Olson is a 1961 graduate of Fergus Falls High School, a former president of Security State Bank and a former president of the Fergus Falls Noon Rotary Club. In June 2002, he was appointed a governor of the Federal Reserve System, only the second Minnesotan ever named to the national economic policy board. The scholarship was created in the fall of 2003 by members of the Noon Rotary Club, in recognition of Mr. Olson’s contributions to the community through his work in the banking industry and his involvement in Rotary.

Established in 2006, Otter Tail Corporation’s scholarship provides support for graduating local high school students as they transition to higher education.

A scholarship has been awarded each year since 1992 in the name of Otter Tail Power Company, another charter donor to Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars. Additionally, many Otter Tail Power employees have served on the board of trustees and have contributed countless hours of professional expertise to Dollars for Scholars.

Ottertail Coaches, which provides transportation service to Fergus Falls area students, established a scholarship to demonstrate its interest and support of our community young people.

The recipient is selected by Dollars for Scholars and must be a Fergus Falls High School Student.

This scholarship was established in 2008 by a donation from Ottertail Builders when the local trade group disbanded. The scholarship is designed for students who are studying at trade or technical schools for careers in carpentry, construction management, architecture and engineering.

Beverly Gerhardson Paulson, a Fergus Falls High School Class of 1948 graduate, and her husband, Lloyd Paulson, are charter donors to Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars and have sponsored a scholarship each year since 1992. The Paulsons were instrumental in establishing a Dollars for Scholars program in Mr. Paulson’s hometown of Parkers Prairie in west central Minnesota, and they wanted to do the same in Mrs. Paulson’s hometown. She is a strong proponent of giving back to one’s community.

The recipient must be a Fergus Falls High School student and is selected by the Dollars for Scholars criteria.

Long-time Dollars supporters Lloyd and Beverly Paulson created this scholarship in 2008 to provide support for students planning to attend vocational or trade schools.

Doctor Elmer Paulson established this scholarship in honor of his father, Dr.Theodore S. Paulson, a 1904 graduate of Fergus Falls High School. The money was originally donated to the Fergus Falls School District, which in turn transferred it to Dollars for Scholars.

In addition to meeting the Dollars for Scholars scholarship criteria, the recipient must be a Fergus Falls High School student and "someone of good character...who has outstanding accomplishments in English."

Service Food is a charter member of Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars. The supermarket has been a valued supporter of our community youth, both as an employer and in a variety of other endeavors.

The recipient of this scholarship is selected according to Dollars for Scholars criteria, but highest priority is given to a current or past Service Food employee.

StoneL Corporation, a long-time member of the Fergus Falls manufacturing community, created this scholarship to provide support for a student pursuing a degree in an engineering field. It is being awarded for the first time in 2009.

VFW Post 612 established the V.F.W. Joe Robertson Good Citizen Scholarship in 1997. Joe Robertson was a high school social sciences teacher and a VFW member who was the driving force behind the local Voice of Democracy competition. VFW members established this scholarship to honor his work with community students. In 1999, the VFW requested two Good Citizen Scholarships be awarded each year, one to a boy and one to a girl.

Recipients of these scholarships, in addition to being selected according to the Dollars for Scholars criteria, must be: a veteran (highest priority), the child of a veteran, or the grandchild of a veteran. A copy of the relative's DD214 (discharge orders) is requested with this scholarship application.

Donors who have contributed at least $5000 to the foundation have established Dollars for Scholars Scholar Level Scholarships. These scholarships are named by the donor and awarded annually.

In 1997, the Dollars for Scholars Board of Trustees organized a silent auction of a variety of fine art contributions from area artists. The proceeds from this fundraiser were dedicated to sponsoring a scholarship for a graduating senior who intends to study visual or performing arts. The artists emphasized the scholarship need not be limited to a college art program and artistic ability should be considered over grade point average.

The recipient is selected by Dollars for Scholars criteria with the additional guidelines listed above.

The Bremer Bank Scholarship was established in 2007 to provide community support to our local high school students as they go on to higher education.

Mr. Eckhoff was a beloved Fergus Falls High School teacher of English, creative writing and literature. He touched the lives of countless students with his caring and intelligence. His family and colleagues established this scholarship to honor his memory. The first scholarship was awarded in 1995, and it is awarded annually to a Fergus Falls High School student planning a career in English, literature, journalism or creative writing.

The recipient is selected by Dollars for Scholars criteria with the qualities listed above.

The Fergus Falls Education Association’s scholarship was created in 2006 with money raised in its fall variety show and through teacher contributions. The award is in honor of FFEA members, past and present, and is intended for Fergus Falls High School graduates entering the education field.

The Fergus Falls manufacturing firm created this scholarship, being awarded for the first time in 2009, to provide support for a student attending a technical college program.

This scholarship, awarded for the first time in 2008, is in memory of the late Fred Evenson, an avid golfer and Fergus Falls businessman. In light of Evenson’s passion for golf, it is designated for a member of an FFHS golf team.

Gordon Gerhardson, a member of the Fergus Falls High School (then known as Washington High School) Class of 1952, was a graduate who worked his way through higher education and became a skilled "troubleshooter" for nuclear power plants all over the world. His sister, Beverly Gerhardson Paulson, established this scholarship in his memory as she knew Mr. Gerhardson would appreciate helping students from his high school continue their education. The first scholarship was awarded in 2001.

Damien Jacklitch, a musician and athlete who graduated from Fergus Falls High School in 1999, died in a car accident in 2002. In 2003, a benefit reunion concert was organized in his memory by former classmates and friends “to celebrate the life of a great person and wonderful musician.” Proceeds from the concert plus family and community donations were used to fund an ongoing scholarship in Jacklitch’s memory.

Drs. Kelly Schroeder and Scott Wagnild created this scholarship because of their belief in the critical value of education and knowledge. The scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2008.

The Park Region Telephone and Otter Tail Telcom Scholarship was established in 2006, the company’s 100th anniversary year, to reflect the company’s continuing support of local students in their quest to continue education beyond high school. Preference may be given to students pursuing an education in telecommunications or high-technology fields.

Mary Beth Hagen Wedum was a 1953 graduate of Fergus Falls High School with a strong interest in education. She is co-chair of the board of the Minneapolis-based J.A. Wedum Foundation, which she directed for many years with John Wedum, her late husband and the grandson of J.A. Wedum.