THE
BARBARA ZANKER SCHOOL FUND
The Barbara Zanker School Fund was
established by the will of Barbara Zanker. Barbara, and her husband, Joseph, came to St. Michael’s
from Germany in the 1850’s. Joseph
died in 1876 and Barbara in 1898. They
had no children.
In the year
1878, when the two story school building was to be built on the church property,
Barbara Zanker furnished the $4,000 that was needed to build the school.
When she died
in 1898, she also bequeathed an additional $4,000 to St. Michael’s.
This money was placed in a perpetual trust whose funds have been invested
in approved securities by three appointed trustees.
The principal of the trust remains in tact. The interest of this fund shall be applied to the maintenance
of St. Michael’s School, repairs to school property, etc.
She stated that while living “I have seen the school built and that I
wish to see the same prosper when dead.”
To date, this
original $4,000 has grown to a value of more than $200,000.
Interest gained from the fund in the past 109 years has totaled more than
$200,000. Over the past ten years,
the fund has averaged over $7,500 in donations to the school.
Over these 109
years, 15 members of St. Michael’s have functioned as trustees of the fund.
The current trustees are Larry Bilotto, Greg Griffith, Tom Baker, and
Linda Burns. Immediate past
trustees are Richard Gildea and the late Bernard Drass and Jim Madden.
Mr. Gildea served for more than 23 years, Mr. Drass more than 20 years,
and Mr. Madden more than 34 years.
The current
trustees wish to thank all the previous trustees for their dedicated service and
immeasurable guidance to the fund.
We suggest that
parishioners consider donations to the Barbara Zanker School Fund to further
enhance Catholic education at what is now Hollidaysburg Catholic School.
Anyone wishing
to donate to the fund may contact any of the four trustees or send your donation
to St. Michael’s Church with the envelope marked for the Zanker Fund.