Creating a Family Legacy

Ben and Dorothy Spiegel raised their sons to be fulfilled, happy people making a difference in the world. They taught their sons to see that God is there in the good and bad times and that faith was the greatest gift they could give. These life lessons inspired Rev. Monsignor Robert '62, Rev. Thomas `63 and Rev. John `72 to create the Ben and Dorothy Spiegel Endowed Scholarship Fund in honor of their parents.

The Ben and Dorothy Spiegel Endowed Scholarship will be awarded annually to a Junior class student involved in Campus Ministry. "We want to emphasize social justice issues. It is wonderful to see how young people can make a great difference in the world, and it is inspiring to see a young person who has this sense of awareness," Rev. Tom said.

The Spiegel brothers chose to fully fund the scholarship now so they could see how their gift is being shared. "It is a blessing when a young person is able to say thank you, and you get to see the results," Rev. Tom said. In the future, they anticipate providing additional funds through various gift options including the remainder value of a charitable unitrust, life insurance proceeds and gifts from their estates.

Rev. Monsignor Bob, Rev. Tom and Rev. John sought the advice of their attorneys and financial planners and St. Ambrose Advancement staff when creating their estate plans. This team approach helped them understand how St. Ambrose can take a gift and allow it to be all it can be. "This is a well-managed, ongoing scholarship that will always be fresh. It gets looked at every year," Rev. Tom said.

For those who might be considering adding St. Ambrose to their estate plans, Rev. Tom offers the following advice. "It would be to your goodwill to call and make a visit to campus and see how your gift can make a difference and shape the lives of young people. You will see what is going on at St. Ambrose and experience the good that comes from St. Ambrose."