There are always those individuals around town that make a lasting impression. They seem to be everywhere, know everyone, and their contributions shine. This is the type of person who defines what “community” means.
For many residents of Morden, Harold Bollenbach was the epitome of this type of citizen.
Sadly, Bollenbach passed away last year, but this year, his family is continuing his legacy by giving back to the community that Bollenbach himself cherished.
Lois Dudgeon, Bollenbach’s niece and the executor of his will, along with her family, has donated $10,000 to the Morden Area Foundation in honour of their late family member.
The rock of the family
For Sandra Bollenbach, also a niece of Harold, the donation is linked to the thread that kept the family united.
“[Harold] was always the scribe for our family. He wrote stories. He put letters in the paper quite a bit,” she says. “He told stories . . . and looked up family history. He [also had] an amazing sense of humour. . . . He was like the little rock of the family.”
Bollenbach also remembers how frank and forthcoming her uncle was.
“He had an opinion about pretty well everything and if he didn't agree, he wasn't shy about saying what he thought and writing it in the paper,” she says. “I'm sure there are many letters to the editor that are stacked in the archive somewhere with his name on them.”
Beyond his considerable involvement with his family, Bollenbach was also a fixture in Morden overall. In addition to writing into the local newspaper, he also attended Council meetings, acted as schoolboard trustee, kept in contact with local business owners, and never missed a chance to have coffee with community members.
“He always kept up on the business of the town,” says Dudgeon. “If you [asked], ‘What's going on, Uncle Harold? What's happening these days in Morden?’ he knew.”
Dudgeon adds that her uncle had a circuit around town through which he would stop by and greet residents along the way. He is missed by those who had the pleasure of visiting with him. With Harold’s loss, the route feels a bit colder.
“None of us have stepped in his footsteps because they're a little too big for the rest of us,” she says.
Giving two-fold
The donation to Morden Area Foundation in Harold’s name comes at the perfect time — during Endow Manitoba’s Giving Challenge. In this period from November 12–17, any amount up to $32,000 given to a community foundation in the province is doubled by the Government of Manitoba and The Winnipeg Foundation.
"I thought this was the perfect time to earmark the monies that he had set aside for the foundation and contribute to this because it's matched,” says Dudgeon. “What better way to [use] the money that he had already earmarked? It’s pretty exciting that it's doubled in size.”
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For Harold’s family, the donation back into a community that their uncle loved is meaningful and memorable.
“I know Uncle Harold would be very proud, and we are too,” says Dudgeon. “I had a couple of words: Thrilled. Delighted.”
Supporting community growth
For Sue Nelson, chair of Morden Area Foundation, the donation on behalf Harold Bollenbach was a suitable beginning to Giving Week.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Lois chose this time,” she says. “This is a great way to put money [into the community] and not only is it used right now, but it continues forever. The funds stay in the endowed funds and interest is spent on projects.”
Nelson says the foundation is in the process of deciding its granting agencies for next year, so there are “lots of exciting things happening right now.”
“We made just over $35,000 in our Giving Challenge last year, and this will push that way. It'll be huge, so I am cautiously optimistic that we can raise $50,000 [this year],” she says.
The Morden Area Foundation is also currently in the process of deciding on granting this year.
“We will be hosting our Christmas party and announcing our granting on December 11th at the Legion Hall downstairs, and the entire community is invited,” she says. “[It’s] always really exciting and I'm sure it will be again this year."
Nelson adds that just as the Bollenbach family has done, setting funds aside in estates is a “wonderful way” to support the community and help it thrive — it’s one way the generosity of important figures in the area contributes to the Pembina Valley through generations.
With files from Robyn Wiebe