How your future gifts help

What does a philanthropist look like? Would he look like a power broker, clad in expensive suits, Italian shoes and a pricey watch?

Or would he look like a "Norwegian bachelor farmer" as described by Garrison Keillor on A Prairie Home Companion radio show?

With the exception of his German roots, Harry Koepke fit the mold of Keillor's character - with a power broker's financial savvy. Koepke, a mutimillion-dollar philanthropist, favored unpretentious flannel shirts that reflected his simple life. Like his wardrobe, Koepke never stood out and didn't want public recognition for his generosity.

The youngest of six children, Koepke lived with his brother and sister on the family farm in Oconomowoc where they were born. "My great uncle had a real flair for investing and started in the 1940s," said Ron Kaliebe, Koepke's grandnephew. "This flair for investing and his hardworking, thrifty ways, were the real secret to his wealth." During Koepke's lifetime, he quietly helped many organizations, including Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Koepke and his partners on the farm never spent a penny on themselves that didn't need to be spent, according to his grandnephew, John Koepke. "Harry had an independent streak that ran through everything he did, and he had his own way of doing things," John Koepke said.

When Koepke passed away in 2008, he bequeathed a generous portion of his estate to the hospital to establish The Harry E. Koepke Endowed Benefit Fund. The fund will provide medical services to disadvantaged children.

Although Koepke never had children of his own, he always had an affinity for the youngest generation in his family and took a great interest in his nieces and nephews. His affection for children was one reason he chose Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to be a major beneficiary of his estate. The other reason, according to his grandniece, Jane Pruhs, was that her father (Koepke's nephew) had received treatment for club feet several decades ago.

He was grateful for the treatment his nephew had received and wanted to give something back. Now, generations of needy children will receive care thanks to Koepke's generous gift to the hospital. "Everyone in the family is pleased that the remainder of his estate is going to be used for this," said Pruhs. 

Eckerle's legacy makes a tangible difference for children

Erna Eckerle of Fox Point, Wis., passed away in her home in February 2005, at the age of 103. Mrs. Eckerle, a longtime friend of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, ensured her interest in children's health will live on through an estate gift which established the Erna L. and Joseph C. Eckerle Endowed Fund.

Throughout her life, Erna Eckerle was an advocate and active volunteer for Children's Hospital. She was a Welfare Auxiliary member for more than a quarter century and a charter member of the Emelie Vogel Nunnemacher donor society. 

She drew others from her circle of friends to Children's Hospital, engaging them in one of her favorite causes and inviting their gifts of time, talent and resources. Her financial gifts purchased practical, tangible items – everything from wheelchairs and exam tables to surgical and intensive care monitoring equipment. Now, her endowed fund ensures Children's Hospital will be able to purchase the high-tech equipment children need today and in the future.

"Erna was a smart lady," said family friend Avis Heller. "She invested her money wisely. At cocktail parties, she didn't talk to the women about their children and grandchildren. She had none of her own, and she preferred talking with the gentlemen about investments and sports."

"She had lots of admirers," Heller said. "She was a beautiful lady and wonderful on the inside. She cared for children, and her entire estate went to the charities she loved."

George and Leila O'Neil's estate plans included their friends, family and charities

Although Mrs. O'Neil passed away in 1943 and Mr. O'Neil four years later in 1947, Children's Hospital continues to benefit from their thoughtful estate planning. 

Mr. and Mrs. O'Neil found a way to include both loved ones and the charities close to them in their estate plans.  Mr. O'Neil established two trusts that would ultimately benefit 10 charities. However, for nearly 50 years these same trusts provided income for numerous life beneficiaries.  

This past year Children's Hospital received the final distribution from the trusts, making George and Leila O'Neil's gift the largest cumulative estate gift in Children's Hospital's history. Mr. and Mrs. O'Neil's thoughtful estate planning will continue to provide for generations of children.  

Leila O'Neil served on the Milwaukee Children's Hospital Board of Directors from 1927-1938 and was also a member of various other hospital committees from publicity to occupational therapy. George O'Neil shared his wife's desire to help care and provide for others.

The care and compassion of the late Alyce and Edgar Wollenberg lives on at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

During the couple's lifetimes, they generously supported the hospital through an endowed fund, the Nancy Wollenberg Cancer Care Fund, established in 1990. Alyce and Edgar Wollenbergs named the fund in honor of their daughter, whose life was cut short at the age of 42. The couple believed their daughter would like the idea of helping children with cancer and established the fund with life insurance proceeds they received at the time of her death.  The Wollenbergs continued to add to the fund annually in honor of Nancy's birthday.

Edgar Wollenberg passed away in 1994, and Alyce followed her husband in 1997. But that is not the end of the story. Children's Hospital was the recipient of gifts from the couple's estate for the Nancy Wollenberg Cancer Care Fund. The couple's love for their daughter and their compassion for children was reflected in their generous decision to include Children's Hospital in their wills. This gift from their hearts lives on in perpetuity, helping to meet the needs of children with cancer for generations to come.