Estate Gift Carries on Family’s Legacy

Julie Ihlenfeldt comes from a family of teachers, including one sibling, two grandmothers and one grandfather. So when Julie discovered her late father had started a scholarship for education students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she and her family decided to continue it, even though her father left no specific instructions.

Julie, a pharmacist, wanted to fulfill her father’s vision by permanently endowing the scholarship. In order to accomplish this, she has included a gift for the scholarship in her will.

“My father didn’t like to establish things in his own name, so he established the scholarship in his wife’s mother’s name, in her honor and in honor of other teachers in the family.”

The scholarship is named for Clara Hertel Slaymaker, Julie’s maternal grandmother, who was a teacher. According to Julie’s mother, Elinor Ihlenfeldt, Clara graduated from Milwaukee Normal School, a predecessor institution of UWM, in 1915. “Clara taught in the Beloit schools until she got married and stopped working,” says Elinor. “That’s what they did back then.”

Julie says, “It’s nice to know that we are able to help somebody become a teacher. Teachers today have one of the most challenging jobs there are. We are lucky to have been offered the opportunity to help support future teachers through an estate gift for scholarships.”

Honor Someone Special to You

Your future gift to the UWM Foundation can be made in honor of a special instructor, a loved one or another person who made an impact on your life. Contact Gretchen E. Miller, J.D. at (414) 229-3067 or gemiller@uwm.edu to learn about your giving options.