Harpst Endowment Funds
Don and Alice Harpst created a legacy for southwest Nebraska in 2007 through
their newly formed endowments at McCook Community Foundation Fund. These endowments
will award gifts annually at the MCF Founders Event each fall. Their IRA
distribution was the key to their donation.
One endowment goes to Leadership development, one each to Cambridge Memorial Hospital and Hillcrest Nursing Home for annual employee recognition awards. An endowment was also established for McCook United Methodist Church.
McCook’s revitalized leadership program was the first to receive an award from for leadership endowment. They were given $1200 from the Harpst Endowment to fund for scholarships for four high school students to participate in the Leadership Institute. The students receiving the gift were Amy Been, Hank Lichtenwaldt, Cory Gaston and Amy Lester.
Don graduated from Cambridge High School, McCook Junior College and finished with a Bachelor of Journalism degree at the University of Missouri. He was published of newspapers in Maywood, Curtis, and Eustis for 20 years before changing careers to become hospital administrator for Lutheran Hospitals and Homes Society at their Cambridge managed hospital, long-term care, retirement facility and three medical clinics in Indianola, Arapahoe and Cambridge.
Don and Alice (Hiatt) were married in 1959 at McCook. Alice also graduated from McCook Junior College. They have five children and are also called Mom and Dad by two German and one Japanese exchange students. There are six grandchildren. All five children and one exchange student graduated from Cambridge High School. Don and Alice moved to McCook in 1987 where he became administrator of Hillcrest Nursing Home until his 1998 retirement. Alice had a successful career as a Speech Therapist.
They have been active in fund raising to build the Curtis Swimming Pool and Medical Center. They helped with funding for Cambridge Memorial Hospital to include Hospice, Home Health, clinics at Arapahoe and Indianola. At Hillcrest Nursing Home, Don and Alice spearheaded the creation of a foundation, Skilled Care, special care unit, independent living and a child care center. Don was a board member of Willow Ridge Retirement Center for 13 years. After retiring he serves as an interim administrator for several nursing home facilities.
Volunteer activities for the couple have included: McCook Chamber of Commerce, Leadership McCook, United Methodist Church and Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre. Alice has served in numerous leadership roles with the McCook Arts Council, McCook Community Concert Association, PEO, and Investment Club. For over 30 years Don has taught ballroom dancing for McCook Community College. He is a member of the McCook Piano Quartet, foundation board member of Holdrege Memorial Nursing Homes, Hillcrest Nursing Home and McCook Community College. Since retiring he landscaped the properties at Hillcrest, Holdrege Memorial Nursing Home and Ravenswood Vineyard.
Alice and Don have already given their time and talent to several communities and creating an endowment ensures that they will continue to support southwest Nebraska forever.
Photo courtesy of Olson Photography