President Vartabedian visits the Central High School library to announce a gift of more than $470,000 from the estate of a Kansas couple. The gift from Earl and Susie Euler will fund scholarships for CHS graduates to attend Missouri Western.

The Missouri Western State University Foundation has received a gift of $474,000 from the estate of Earl and Elmyra “Susie” Euler of Blair, Kan., that will endow a scholarship fund for graduates of St. Joseph Central High School who attend Missouri Western.

“We’re extremely grateful for this generous gift, which is one of the largest scholarship endowments we’ve ever received,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “A bequest of this size will make a tremendous impact, enabling the university to provide about $19,000 each year to local students who might otherwise not be able to attend college. We thank the Euler family for this exceptional support of Missouri Western.”

Susie Euler ’45 was born in St. Joseph, and attended Edison Elementary and Central High School before entering St. Joseph Junior College, which later became Missouri Western State University. Earl Euler was born on the family farm near Blair, Kan., and attended Aberle Country School, Wathena High School, Highland Community College and Kansas State University. In response to the need for increased food production during World War II, he returned to the family farm. Earl and Susie were married in 1945.

In addition to running their farm, Earl taught grade school throughout Doniphan County

J.D. Euler, executor of the estate, talks about his cousins Earl and Susie Euler and Susie’s love for Missouri Western and Central High School.

and Susie worked for the Doniphan County Agriculture Conservation Services and the First Bank of Troy. The couple enjoyed reading, gardening and travel and placed a high value on education, according to J.D. Euler, executor of their estate.

“Susie loved both Central High School and Missouri Western,” Euler said during the announcement at Central. “She never forgot either institution.”

The first scholarships from the Earl and Elmyra Euler Scholarship Fund are expected to be awarded to students entering Missouri Western in fall 2013. Coupled with a recent bequest from the estate of Ed Vincent ‘39, the Missouri Western State University Foundation now has an endowment of more than $2 million to fund scholarships for graduates of Central High School.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.