Staff writer
Income from the district-owned Mowrer farm west of Lost Springs provided $21,000 in scholarships to Centre High School seniors this year.
Clara Mowrer donated the farm to the district 20 years ago for “a perpetual scholarship fund” after the death of her husband, Loren. Four seniors received $800 each the first year.
After Clara’s death in 2000 at age 105, the Loren Mowrer Scholarship Fund was renamed the Loren E. and Clara Mowrer Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Several other sources of revenue later were added to the fund. On Dec. 20, 2000, the school district accepted a gift of $250,000 bequeathed to it from Clara Mowrer. In 2001, a producing oil well was drilled on the farm, resulting in additional income and more money for college-bound seniors.
Each applicant is required to write an essay and to have scored at least a 21 on the ACT test and maintained a minimum 3.5 grade point average.
This year’s recipients were Callie Riffel, $4,000; Cassidy Hill, $3,500; Brenna Shields, Nellie Kassebaum, and Shelby Makovec, $3,000; Dakota Stimpson, $2,500; and Conner Montgomery, $2000.
The money will be distributed over two years.
Many other scholarships were awarded to graduating seniors May 13 during an academic-athletic banquet. Additional recipients not mentioned above were Justin Bina, Tabitha Oborny, and Cassy Thompson.