50-Plus Years of Loyalty to Wartburg Inspire Bentzes' Generosity

Myrin and Audrey Bentz met at Wartburg College and married immediately following Myrin's graduation in 1957 with a liberal arts degree.

For more than 50 years, they've maintained ties with their alma mater despite living for most of that time on the West Coast. Myrin, 72, enjoys following Knights athletics online, and Audrey, 71, has a special place in her heart for the Wartburg Choir. Last fall, they returned to campus for Myrin's 50-year Homecoming class reunion. The experience reinforced their love for the college and inspired them to establish a charitable gift annuity, something they had read about in mailings from the college.

"We've been very blessed in terms of our financial situation, and rather than have the money be invested in things that we really don't know where it's going, we prefer to let our investments have wings, so to speak, and play an important part in the lives of young people, especially those in the Lutheran faith," Audrey says.

After Wartburg, life took the Bentzes to Dubuque, where Myrin entered Wartburg Theological Seminary. Following his graduation, he spent 37 years in the ministry, serving in Kansas City, Mo.; Anchorage, Alaska; and for 29 years in Portland, Ore. Audrey held jobs in a public defender's office and in churches. Together, the couple raised five children and now has nine grandchildren.

Since Myrin's retirement in 1998, the Bentzes have owned and operated Morningsong Acres Retreat Center, a retreat facility for small groups located north of Lyle, Wash.

Audrey and Myrin say the Wartburg development staff provided excellent help in setting up their charitable gift annuity, and because they had recently sold some land, they appreciated the tax shelter their gift provided. Their gift benefits the college while providing them with an annual source of revenue.

"It wasn't just a transaction," Myrin says. "It was a personal thing. And that really made it a joy."

Although the Bentzes chose to direct their gift to the general fund at the college, donors can also designate their gifts for scholarships, endowed funds or special projects.

To find out how you can receive similar benefits while helping Wartburg, contact Jay Boeding, CFRE at 319-352-8487 or jay.boeding@wartburg.edu.