Jon and Becky Stellmacher say making their favorite charitable causes part of their estate planning through the Community Foundation has always been their intention, so that’s what they did as they updated the necessary documents over the past year.

Describing the provisions they have made for their charitable family endowment fund – the Becky and Jon Stellmacher Family Fund, established through the Community Foundation in 2003 – Jon said they approached it as if the community were an extra child that they also wanted to share in their legacy.

“This has always been a part of our plan,” Becky said.

The couple also plans to establish new funds to support health and human services causes in their childhood communities of Seymour and Black Creek and nonprofits serving children and youth in Appleton. They also support regional and global causes through their church.

Charitable giving is the right response to living in a great community, the Stellmachers said.

“We just feel that these are blessings that should be shared,” said Jon, the retired executive vice president for Thrivent Financial and a member of the Community Foundation board.

Jon and Becky, a counselor and former teacher, are the newest of 218 members of the Himebaugh Legacy Circle, which the Foundation uses to thank people now for gifts they plan to give after life. It also informs others about people who plan to support the Foundation in this way.

“We’ve always struggled a little bit with receiving recognition. That’s not the motivation at all,” Jon said. But he took the advice of fellow retired Thrivent executive Walt Rugland, who told him they can provide additional help by letting it be known that they support a particular organization.

No matter the amount of the future gift, if it is made through a will or trust, insurance policy first or second beneficiary designation, retirement account or other estate planning tool, we will be pleased to welcome you into the Himebaugh Legacy Circle. Just let us know you have planned a gift.

New Legacy Circle members, November 2016 to February 2017:

•  Daniel and Linda Baumbach
• George and Janice Elias
• Christine and Robert Faulks
• William and Kristine Foth
• Roy+ and Donita Gross
• Maurice J. Johnson
• John P. and Julia Metternich Olson
• William and Sandra Rogers
• Thomas and Mary Stadler
• Becky and Jon Stellmacher
• Ron and Lisa Thiry

+deceased

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