When Sue and Charlie Mckibbin moved from Evanston, Illinois to their home in rural Monroe in 1990, they knew about the Monroe Community Senior Center from the beginning.

However, it took them until about 3 years ago to start using it.

“I had to get exercise for medical reasons so I started coming” said Sue. “One thing led to another, and now I come to the Senior Center for exercise, yoga, the book club, and Spanish lessons and both Charlie and I participate in bridge and square dancing!”

Sue first heard about the Legacy Society in The Grapevine and then heard it discussed at the annual meeting.

One of the best surprises was how easy it was. Sue spoke with board member and elder law attorney, Melinda Grout, about how to add the Senior Center to her will. “Melinda is an attorney, and she told me that if I want to add the center to my will, she’ll make that change for free! That wasn’t the reason I decided to make the bequest, but it sure made it easy to decide. In addition to spending time at the MCSC, Sue also is a member of the Monroe Garden Club. and Charlie is an avid golfer. Their love of the outdoors is evident when Sue explains why they moved here. “We have a daughter who lived in Woodinville, and we love the mountains. Actually, I call them my” mountains. We love this area and have never regretted moving here.”

When asked what one recommendation she would offer to others considering the Legacy Society, Sue was direct: “If you enjoy the Senior Center but can’t afford to give a lot of money on an annual basis, the Legacy Society is an easy way to support the center’s great activities and programs. Charlie and I don’t have a lot of money, but we are quite sure we want to leave some for the Senior Center because the Senior Center has been a wonderful of our lives.

Melinda is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Monroe Community Senior Center. She and her husband Dave have & owned a couple of small businesses and enjoyed success I in the Sky Valley. They know that the Monroe Community Senior Center is a wonderful asset in this community. One way they enjoy contributing to the senior center is by attending and bidding at the annual Auction. Being real baseball fans, they were thrilled to “hit a home run” at this year’s auction by making the winning bid on a beautifully framed photo of the first pitch at Safeco Field ! It now hangs right inside the entrance to their home.

Recently, they decided it was time to update their wi11s. Part of their plan was to give something back to this community that they love. As Melinda put it: “Not only do we love this Valley, but we feel as though we owe it a lot for the success of our businesses.”

While being able to keep and use their assets now during their lives was important to them, Melinda and Dave knew they would feel good about arranging to be able to share what they have, once they are gone. They chose to revise their wills to leave the majority of their asset as an inheritance for their adult children, with the remainder to the Monroe Community Senior Center Legacy & Fund. Because their gift to the Legacy Fund will be endowed, they know it will provide a growing source of funding for the important work of the senior center. They feel good knowing that when they are gone, their legacy will be one of helping others strengthen our community.

Mike and Colleen Carlson are lifetime residents of Monroe who follow a family tradition of service. Mike’s father, Nels Carlson, was owner of Carlson and Sons Lumber and Trucking and respected for his community spirit.

When a non-profit organization needed equipment Nels was there to provide it. He was among the charter members of the MCSC and like Mike has served on the board of directors. Colleen’s father was Jess Weaver and is remembered fondly as owner of the Union 76 Gas Station back in the ’50s. Like their parents, Colleen and Mike are well known in the Sky Valley for their generosity and commitment to making our community a better place to live.

Mike and Colleen are longstanding active members of the Monroe Community Senior Center, donating both time and resources. After serving on the MCSC’s Board of Directors for many years Mike resigned at the end of December 2008. He served as President of the board for three terms, chaired our annual auction many times and held other committee chairmanships. Mike was an effective, enthusiastic, and inspirational leader.

The Carlsons will continue to support the Center as volunteers but they opted to do more. To ensure that the Center will continue to provide its valuable services in the future, they decided to donate to the MCSC’s Legacy Funds by including a charitable bequest in their will.

I became involved with Monroe Community Senior Center in early 2006 when I needed the communion of the Caregiver Connection Support Group. That group became my lifeline after my life had changed from being a wife to being my husband’s caregiver.

I later had the opportunity of showing Mary Kay products and getting to know many of the senior center members that participated in activities on Wednesdays. I became ever more involved. One of my favorite groups is the Monroe Community Senior Center book club and the luncheon outings following our monthly meeting.

I have truly found the senior center to be a great value in my life and have observed the same in the many people I have met there-and how much fun everyone has. When I redid my will last year, I considered how I wanted to share the assets my husband and I have accumulated after working for many years. Yes, there are children involved-five to be exact-but I want to do more than just pass everything on to them. I want to leave something to organizations that have meant a lot to me personally and ensure that my assistance will help those organizations continue after I have passed on. I have become a member of the most important component of the senior center-the Legacy Society.

We are extremely grateful to Rachel, Lyle and Les Smith, for remembering the Monroe Community Senior Center in their estate plans.

Rachel’s husband, Lyle, helped build the previous Senior Center up on the hill, and continued his involvement with the MCSC throughout his life. Rachel was also involved for many years, and is perhaps best remembered for the wonderful quilts she made for the Center. Their son, Les, was a frequent visitor during his 72-year life, and lit up the Center with his presence on a regular basis.

During their lives, the Smiths set up their estate planning so that they had all that they needed to care for themselves and their son during their lives, and then shared the remainder of their estate upon their deaths with both surviving family and the Senior Center.

What a wonderful legacy they have left for those they cared about:  their family and the Senior Center that they loved.

We would like to recognize one of our Senior Center members who has recently become a member of our Legacy Society by including a gift to MCSC within this person’s Will. However, this wonderful member has requested to remain anonymous, and so neither we nor you can thank this person publically.

This person chose to leave a specific dollar amount to the center, while leaving the remaining assets to family. Years from now, when the dollars from this gift come into our Legacy Fund, they will be added to other legacy gifts to help fund MSCS forever.

Our anonymous donor emphasized “how valuable this center is to them self and all our friends here.” and considers it “a responsibility and an honor” to help provide for the Center’s future. We, in turn, consider it a responsibility and an honor to help you, the members, keep MCSC open and improving long into the future. This is the purpose for which we have established the Legacy Society.

Our Senior Center is fortunate to have such generous members. If you wish to discuss leaving your own legacy for the center, do not hesitate to ask our Executive Director or any Board Member for more information.

One of our former Board Members is a local attorney, and can help you, at no charge to revise your will so you can join our Legacy Society by leaving your own gift to the Center.

We would love to welcome you as a member of the Legacy Society.