Planned Giving

Planned Giving

By Bill Steger and his wife Ruthanne Beighley 

               I choose to support the Hagen History Center for several reasons:

               First, from my early childhood, I have had a love of history. I still recall my first visit to the Erie Museum in 1953 when I was in the 4^th grade.

              Second, I also recall my parents taking our family trip to Gettysburg in the mid 50’s where I first learned about the Civil War and the roles of the Erie County infantry regiments who fought there.

               Third, several years ago I was invited to serve on the Board of Directors of the Hagen History Center, which I proudly did for six years. This service firmly established in me our need to preserve and display our many artifacts as well as to educate the citizens of Erie County about our rich history. 

               Lastly, in addition to making annual gifts to the museum, I made the choice to be a “planned giving donor” by designating a portion of my IRA to be donated to the HHC upon my death.  This decision will help ensure the future sustainability of the History Center.  And this is perhaps the most important reason for my decision! 

Please consider remembering ECHS in your estate plans. You can choose to include ECHS in your will, in a trust and/or as the beneficiary of an insurance policy. This type of donation often provides transformational growth for the organization. 

If you'd like to discuss any of the above options further, contact Geri Cicchetti, Advancement Director at 814-454-1813 x34 or at gcicchetti@eriehistory.org