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Couple makes major donation to McCook Community Foundation
Two life-long Nebraskans have made the largest charitable gift to date to the McCook Community Foundation. Lemoine and Geri Anderson, who owned and operated Anderson Motors Inc. in McCook for 42 years, worked with the Nebraska Community Foun-dation to develop an innovative plan to provide for a gift of $346,431 to the McCook Community Foundation's en-dowment.
An initial grant of $13,000 from the endowment will be made at the Annual Banquet of the McCook Community Foundation on Thursday.
Additional grants will be made each year into the future from the endowment for strategic projects in the McCook area as determined by the McCook Community Foundation's Fund Advisory Committee.
"The Andersons have demonstrated tremendous leadership, not only for McCook but for the entire state," said Jeff Yost, president of the Nebraska Com-munity Foundation. "Their gift to the foundation is one of the largest to date for living donors."
"This is a truly wonderful gift,' said Stan Goodwin, chairman of the McCook Community Foundation Fund. "The McCook Community Foundation will be transformed because of the Andersons' confidence in our organization and as a result of their generosity we will be able to make grants for years and years to come that will fundamentally change the McCook area."
In particular, the Andersons wanted to give back to the community of McCook. "We feel fortunate to have lived, raised our family and to have worked in a community such as McCook. To us, it is important to give while we are still alive. We want to see the benefits our gift makes to the community," Lemoine said.
The Andersons have made numerous gifts to various local organizations over the years.
Both Lemoine and Geri are life-long residents of Nebraska. Geri (Hermann) was born and raised six miles west of Seward. The youngest of eight children, she attended Seward Public Schools before moving to Lincoln and graduating from Lincoln High School.
Lemoine, also known as "Andy," was born and raised on a farm near Sutton and served in the U.S. Navy for two years prior to attending the University of Nebraska. He and Geri met in Lincoln, where both were attending the university.
They married in 1949 during Lemoine's senior year. After receiving his bachelor of science degree in business administration, Andy joined Nielsen Chevrolet in Columbus.
His work there prepared the Andersons to acquire an automotive agency of their own. They made the move in 1958, buying the Ford, Mercury and Lincoln dealership in McCook from Myatt Volentine.
In 1996, Andy received the Time magazine Quality Dealer Award for the State of Nebraska. This recognition was made as a result of the dealership's business ach-ievement and community service.
The move to McCook and purchase of the dealership was a turning point in the Andersons' lives, as their success in the automotive business allowed them to make investments in agriculture and commercial real estate.
The Andersons have three daughters: Marcia Buresh of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Jean Warner of Seattle, Wash.; and Julie Harr of Elkhorn, Neb.
Cancer claimed the life of their son, Mike, in 1996 at the age of 45. The Andersons' family also includes four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
The Andersons said they hope that their gift will inspire others to make gifts to endow the future of the community and state.