A Life of Service and a Legacy for Marshall: The Pat McFarland Story
Born and raised on a farm east of Marshall, Pat served in the Air Force in World War II, married his beloved wife Dorothy, and was owner of The McFarland Co., a real estate and property development business.
He loved southwest Minnesota and the land he built his life and business on. An informed and passionate philanthropist, Pat realized his community’s needs were ever changing and wanted to ensure that his dollars were used wisely to make a difference long into the future. That’s why Pat worked with Southwest Initiative Foundation and his estate planning attorney to set up a trio of endowments to leave his legacy in a place he was proud to call home.
In Pat’s estate plan, he included bequests that left three cash gifts to Southwest Initiative Foundation. Each bequest created an endowment fund that carries his name and supports organizations close to his heart: St. James Episcopal Church, Prairie Home Hospice, and Friends of the Orchestra, all in Marshall.
Acting as a kind of savings account, endowments ease financial burden during tough times and help an organization flourish during prosperous times. Southwest Initiative Foundation has been building endowment funds for over 30 years; people have entrusted us with the wealth they’ve chosen to invest in their communities. Our endowment fund option allows an individual or family to attach their name to a permanent “fund” at SWIF. That fund is co-mingled with our other endowment funds ($70 million and counting) and professionally invested for long-term growth. Then, grants are made annually in the name of the individual or family and in alignment with their preferences.
Wise investments by Southwest Initiative Foundation mean that disbursements from Pat’s funds total over $283,000 in the last decade—all without touching the original gifts left. These dollars have meant big improvements and new opportunities for the organizations benefitting from Pat’s estate. St. James Church was able to build a raised sidewalk for handicap accessibility, while Friends of the Orchestra was able to establish a student concerto competition and summer string academy.
“Pat helped secure the future of the church,” reflected Sue Fritz, volunteer administrator of Saint James Episcopal Church in Marshall, where Pat and his wife Dorothy were members for decades. “His bequest ensures that the church and the maintenance of the building will last.”