Profiles in Giving

Angeline Post, Class of 1948

Messmer Catholic Schools would like to acknowledge the very generous planned gift of a $25,000 life insurance policy from Mrs. Angeline Post (’48) of Port Charlotte, Florida.

Angeline Post (née Dalske) was born in 1931 in Marathon County.  In the summer of 1944, Angeline traveled to Milwaukee to take a job as a housekeeper with the Mortenson family.  After working for the summer, the Mortenson family asked Angeline to stay on with the family.  This, however, would require Angeline to attend high school in the Milwaukee area.  While Angeline was interested in continuing on with her job, it was equally important to her that she attend a Catholic school.  She told Mrs. Mortenson of her wishes, and Mrs. Mortenson proceeded to research Catholic high schools in the city without Angeline’s knowledge.  After completing her research, Mrs. Mortenson encouraged Angeline to attend Messmer High School.  Angeline agreed. 

While attending Messmer, Angeline continued working as a maid with the Mortenson family.  This limited her ability to participate in extracurricular activities.  Yet it did not dissuade her love of Messmer.  Mrs. Post fondly recalled Sister Vincent, her favorite teacher, and all of the nuns and priests in the school.  In fact, Mrs. Post indicated that her favorite memories of Messmer were of the religious faculty and staff at the school.  Mrs. Post specifically remembered how the priests and nuns were always there for the students, and if you did not go to visit the priests and faculty, they would search you out.  Angeline graduated from Messmer High School in 1948.

After graduating from Messmer, Angeline attended Milwaukee State Teachers' College for two years.  She eventually met Roger Post.  Roger and Angeline were married in 1951.  Mrs. Post went on to work at Beacon Savings and Loan in Milwaukee as a clerk until 1958, while her husband Roger served  in the Armed Forces and attended Milwaukee School of Engineering to obtain an engineering degree. 

Mr. and Mrs. Post moved to Minnesota in the 1960’s.  Angeline worked as a clerk with the U.S. Postal Service in Minnesota from 1970 until her retirement in 1992.  The Posts remained in Minnesota until retirement in the 1990s when they moved to Florida.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Post has never forgotten Messmer and the good things Messmer did for her and for others.  Mrs. Post stated that she has always been very proud of the good that Messmer has done, and she wanted to do whatever she could to make sure that Messmer stayed in existence.

While exploring her options, Mrs. Post realized that she could only contribute a small amount a year to Messmer.  However, Mrs. Post wanted to do something more.  She discovered that if she took out a life insurance policy on herself and named Messmer as the beneficiary, Messmer would eventually receive a larger donation and it would be more financially feasible for her to pay the premiums since they are taken directly out of her check a month at a time.

After paying the premiums on the policy for a few years, this past December, Mrs. Post transferred ownership of the policy to Messmer which resulted in a tax deduction for Mrs. Post.  In addition, Mrs. Post will continue to receive tax deductions for payment of future premiums of the policy.  As a result of Mrs. Post’s foresight and generosity, Messmer stands to receive a gift of $25,000 from Mrs. Post.  While many donors choose to remain anonymous, Mrs. Post permitted Messmer to profile her and her gift in hopes that her gift and story may spark others to consider making a planned gift or other donation to Messmer. Mrs. Post currently lives in Port Charlotte, Florida, but hopes to visit Wisconsin and Messmer again soon.

The benefits of a gift of a life insurance policy include being relatively simple (you name the charity as the beneficiary of the insurance policy) and paying the premiums rather than the larger lump sum payments. Insurance policies are generally revocable (so there is no income tax benefit for the gift), the gift may qualify for estate tax deductions, and it may be outside the probate process which means that the charity can receive the gift more quickly.  In addition, if you name the charity as the irrevocable owner and the beneficiary of the insurance policy (whether it is a fully paid-up policy or a new/non-paid-up policy), the donor can receive income tax deductions.

If you are interested in learning more about making a gift of life insurance to Messmer or other tax saving planned giving options, please contact the Director of Advancement at (414) 264-5440 or development@messmerschools.org.  Messmer remains dedicated to working with you and your legal, tax, and financial advisors in choosing a gift that best meets your financial and philanthropic needs and goals.
 
Messmer will continue to profile various donors and gifts in upcoming Messmer Today and Planned Giving Newsletters.