Family Ties to Community Guide Legacy Giving

The Merlin and Margot Jones Scholarship Fund

Merlin and Margot Jones had a deep attachment to the Plymouth community, having moved their family to the area in 1969. Graduates of Cornell College (Iowa), the couple married in 1952. Merlin enlisted in the United States Army. As a control tower operator, he developed a lifelong affection for aviation and flying. He ferried Piper aircraft from Kansas to customers as far away as Alaska; he loved tinkering with his experimental gyrocopter and Cessna 337 Skymaster. An engineer by trade, Merlin’s talent for innovation led a varied career path. He helped design rocket parts used in the space program, and engineered and patented complex machinery for the paper processing industry as Vice President at Bomarko, Inc. He worked as general manager at Skystream Airlines and plant manager at Wickes Mobile Homes. Merlin and Margot purchased and incorporated ANCO Office Products with their son, Jeff, in 1975. Four decades later, the business remains family-owned and operated by Jeff and his wife Lenore.

When contemplating legacy gifts, Merlin and Margot carefully considered many options. The Marshall County Historical Museum was a logical choice; the Transportation Room is named in their honor.

Merlin and Margot also wanted to support Marshall County students pursuing higher education. They chose to establish a scholarship fund at MCCF, recognizing the gift would continue to give. The stories of the 2014 scholarship recipients are inspirational. Each student was living independently while attending high school and, in spite of personal challenges, excelled in studies and extracurricular activities. Layla Milton (Argos) attends Ball State University studying genetics; Logan Richards (Plymouth) attends Purdue University studying biochemistry with plans to become a medical researcher. Though Merlin and Margot passed away before knowing the impact of their gift, each year stories like these will honor their legacy.

Photo: 

2014 Merlin and Margot Jones Scholarship Fund award winners met with members of the Jones family at the Marshall County Historical Society. Shown here are (l to r) Linda Yoder, MCCF Executive Director, Logan Richards, Jeff and Lenore Jones, Jonathan Jones and Layla Milton.