Evelyn Dust
When we plan for our futures, many of us think first about how we will provide for those family members we will leave behind when we die. Those without surviving family members, though, often focus their legacy-building on the charities that are dearest to their hearts.
Born in 1917, Evelyn E. Dust grew up on a farm outside of San Pierre, Indiana. She never married, but as an adult, she was very close to her younger sister Lavern. After Evelyn retired from her 38-year career with Indiana Michigan Power, the two women traveled the world together, eventually visiting every continent but South America.
When Lavern became seriously ill, Evelyn created a Charitable Gift Annuity with the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County. She chose REAL Services, our community’s agency that focuses on the welfare and interests of senior citizens, as the beneficiary of her annuity. That Gift Annuity provided Evelyn with regular income during the final years of her life, and, when she passed away in November 2011, the remaining funds were transferred to their endowment fund with the Community Foundation as she had directed.