Insuring America’s Future
August 3, 2009| By The Heritage Foundation
Although appreciation for this fact didn't develop until much later in life, it turns out that the childhood Earl Visser experienced on his family's farm in Riley, Kansas—population 938—was about as fine an education in conservative values as a boy can get. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" was the prevailing wisdom in 1940s rural Kansas, and Earl's parents certainly never missed an opportunity to instill a sense of gratitude for what they had. "My parents always made sure we made the most
of everything and that nothing was wasted," says Earl. "They were deeply committed to Christian ideals, and that also meant that life was to be lived one moment at a time, taking nothing for granted."
It was many years later—after graduating from Kansas University, then moving to Nebraska to pursue a career in business development at Hallmark Cards, and then becoming the owner of his own property management company—that Earl began to take a deeply retrospective look at the core values his parents passed on to him. In turn, he began to feel with great conviction that these conservative and Christian ideals were a legacy that he wanted to pass on to future generations. "It took me a good 50 years to fully arrive at this realization," says Earl, "but once I did, the call to action became very clear."
For Earl, putting these thoughts to work meant leaving a meaningful legacy in the form of a charitable gift. His goal was to help educate the next generation of young Americans in the conservative values that for him were "a way of life" as a boy in rural Kansas but are now in danger of being lost. He chose the gift of an insurance policy as his preferred method for making a gift because, in his words, "It's a gift that will result in a charitable gift that's several times larger than the purchase cost."
Earl had considered establishing a gift with his alma mater but became discouraged by poor communication and an unwillingness to take his objectives to heart. "I turned to Heritage and was immediately impressed with the care and understanding that went into making sure my intent was honored," Earl says. "In establishing this gift with Heritage, I feel as though I've finally got things right." Earl has taken a great amount of satisfaction in knowing that his endowment gift—which will proudly bear his parents' names— will be used to educate the next generations of America's leaders. He feels strongly that Heritage is the right place to preserve those conservative values that for him began on a rural farm in Kansas so many years ago. As Earl wisely surmises, "Humility is where it all begins. When we come to fully appreciate the heritage given to us by those who came before, we're moved to create a better future for others."
