A New Bremen native and long-time resident created the New Bremen Education Endowment Fund through his estate to provide scholarships to New Bremen High School seniors.
Jim Moeller established the fund within the Community Foundation of Shelby County, which will administer annual scholarships, starting with awards for 2024 grads.
Seniors Olivia Gabel and Chloe Homan will receive the Education Endowment Fund’s first $2,000 scholarships. Gabel will enroll at the University of Dayton with a communication major and Homan will attend Bowling Green State University to pursue construction management and interior design.
Moeller and his wife Pat moved to Lansing, Michigan, but had resided in New Bremen until shortly before his death at age 100. He was known to tour visitors around town, showing the landmarks and businesses of New Bremen. He retired after 42 years at Stamco, a division of the Monarch Machine Tool Company, and then went on to sell insurance for Leugers Insurance agency until he was 83.
“Jim was highly involved in the town, serving on the village council and the board of the First National Bank of New Bremen,” Pat Moeller saod. “He started thinking about what he could do to help New Bremen and that’s when the idea of the Education Endowment Fund came along. He wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Pat Moeller spent her career in teaching, which is also a connection to education.
Gifts to the New Bremen Education Endowment Fund are welcome and may be made payable to the Community Foundation of Shelby County with the Fund name in the memo line or on an accompanying note. The mailing address is 100 S. Main Ave., Suite 202, Sidney. Credit card gifts may be made on the Community Foundation website at commfoun.com.
New Bremen seniors may apply for 2025 scholarships when the online form opens in December on the Community Foundation website.
