Wernimont Foundation nears 50 years of assisting seminarians

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Next year will mark the 50^th anniversary of the Wernimont Education Fund that was established to help with educational expenses of seminarians in major seminary.
George N. Wernimont and his wife, Helen, established the fund in 1976 through the gift of farmland and other assets. 

According to the couple’s nephew, Hubert Hagemann, the fund is a nonprofit 501(c)3 public foundation.

“They were faithful people and were concerned about education for men studying for the priesthood,” said Hagemann, who is secretary of the board of trustees for the foundation and manager of the fund. 

Since the fund was established, he estimated the diocese has received more than $5 million for seminarian education.

“Like any ministry in the church, the Vocations Office is funded by generous donations from the faithful of the Diocese of Sioux City,” said Father Travis Crotty, director of vocations. “The annual gift of financial support from the Wernimont Foundation allows us to form young men after the heart of Jesus as healthy, holy, joyful parish priests for the Diocese of Sioux City.”

Father Thomas Hart, a retired priest of the diocese and a long-time member of the board since the mid-1990s, stressed that the Wernimonts were “truly concerned about the diocese and the priests for our diocese.” 

The fund, he added, has provided for the education of many diocesan priests and will continue to do so in the future.

Father Brian Feller of Our Lady of the Plains Parish has been on the board since 2019. He, too, expressed his appreciation.

“I am very grateful for the Wernimonts generosity, faith, and foresight in designating their land as a perpetual gift to support the future of the priesthood in the Sioux City Diocese. Their intentional donation back in 1976 has benefitted nearly all of our active priests and the thousands of parishioners they serve. I am in awe by how God has multiplied this blessing,” he said.

The Wernimonts
George and Helen Wernimont, who died in 1981 and 1994, married in 1943. They farmed and fed cattle in the Auburn area.

“They were married later in life so did not have any children,” said Hagemann, whose mother was a sister to George.

Initially, he noted, two farms were donated to establish the foundation with other investments and another two farms, including one that was co-owned by Helen and her sister-in-law, were later donated. The farms are located in Sac, Carroll, Calhoun and Pocahontas Counties.

“The farms are owned by the corporation and the proceeds from the farms go to this,” said Hagemann. By establishing this foundation, he added, this was a way for their generosity to live on.

Father Crotty spoke of the tremendous generosity of the Wernimonts that not only helps to support seminarians but some farmers through land rental opportunities.

“I'm incredibly grateful for the selfless gift of the Wernimont family who courageously donated their farm estate in such a way that the fruits of their labor have not only supported the formation of many priests and seminarians for the Diocese of Sioux City but have also allowed small farming families to stay in our diocese, make a living, and raise families on the rich soil that we call home in Northwest Iowa,” said Father Crotty.

A small portion of the Wernimont Foundation’s assets are invested in stocks and bonds, but most of the revenue is from cash rent on the farmland.

Not only did the couple make the generous donation that continues to impact seminarians of the diocese to this day, but they also made gifts to Boys Town in Nebraska as well as to Indian missions in Yankton, S.D.

“My Uncle George was on first name basis with Father (Edward) Flanagan. He was even a guest in their house so there was a personal connection between my aunt and uncle and Father Flanagan,” said Hagemann. “When there was a personal connection, they wanted to help.”

In a Globe article from March 18, 1982, Bishop Frank Greteman, said, “George and Helen Wernimont will always be remembered as major benefactors of the priesthood in the diocese.”

That article named the men in major seminary who benefited from proceeds of the fund in 1982 – Kevin McCoy, Tim Friedrichsen and David Hemann – all of whom continue to serve as priests of the diocese today. 

“For nearly 50 years the Wernimont Foundation has financially supported the seminarians for the Diocese of Sioux City in graduate theology studies, that is the second half of seminary formation. In my time in the vocations office and in recent years, the foundation has fully funded the tuition expenses of our seminarians in theology studies with their annual gift,” said Father Crotty. “Simply put, one family's generosity has supported the formation of our priests for more than 40 years.”

A second foundation, the Duhigg Trust, provides funds for the formation of college-level seminarians. The St. Joseph Education Society picks ups additional expenses not covered by the Wernimont and Duhigg funds.

While this fund was mainly established with assets from the Wernimonts, Hagemann said he admired that his aunt and uncle had the foresight to establish a foundation that could receive additional gifts. Other donors have contributed to the fund and may continue to do so.

“I would like to encourage others to consider how their gift of farmland can support the mission of the church and provide families the opportunity to farm in an age where small farms are getting fewer and more difficult to own,” said Father Feller.

With the establishment of this fund, Father Hart described the Wernimonts as forward looking. 

 “I encourage the faithful of the Diocese of Sioux City to prayerfully consider how they might join the legacy of the Wernimont family in supporting their parish, the diocese and in particular the formation of our future priests,” said Father Crotty. “As we know, without priests we don’t have the sacraments and without the sacraments we don’t have the most direct access to God’s life-giving grace.”