Memorials and Bequests

Over the years donors have left gifts of all shapes and sizes to the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar. These gifts have made a HUGE impact on improvements to infrastructure, exhibits, and programming over the past nearly 50 years. Here are a few examples of the people behind these legacies and the many ways they have given.

As you probably already know, Mike and Molly Sheerar (upper left) were one of the museum’s first donors. The Sheerar’s original donation of $25,000 made it possible to raise the additional funds needed to purchase the historic First Church of Christ Scientist building that was to become the museum’s home. Of course, there were many others who contributed at this time. In 1980, first director Raymond Bivert calculated that the Sheerars had contributed over 100,000 at that point (including a button collection valued at $20,000). These funds helped to purchase display cases, improve acoustics in the auditorium, install a security system, and more. The Sheerar’s then set up a trust for the museum with the interest from the trust helping to fund additional capital expenses.

With Leonard’s passing in 1989, followed by Molly’s ten years later, the museum received another nearly $100,000 that formed the core of its endowment. As Molly’s sister, Lucille McCabe, wrote, “it seems very fitting that the Sheerar’s final gift to the museum came at the time of the museum’s 25th anniversary.”

In 1992, Dr. Audrey Eleanor Oaks (2nd on left) deposited $1,000 into a CD. Throughout the next years until 2003, Dr. Oaks sent the museum the interest earned on the account and invested an additional $1,000 in increments until the balance was $8,000. Her directions were that upon her demise, “the Museum may do with the CDs as they wish. In the meantime, the interest will serve as a yearly income.”

Iva Marie Sauer Smith (3rd on left) established a trust for her estate in 1993 with portions of the funds to be distributed to the Stillwater Public Library, the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar and the Stillwater Medical Center Foundation equally. The museum received these funds in 2003 and they were placed in an interest-earning account.

The Florence J. and Russell H. Baugh (fourth on left) endowment fund was established in 2000 by L. Frank and Ruth E. Vorpahl and John and Helen Rossmiller to further educational programs at the Stillwater History Museum that focus on local history. The fund is administered by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Each year the interest on the account is sent to the museum to use for its educational programming. (Note: Ruth is Florence’s sister, and Helen, Frank and Ruth’s daughter.)

Dorothy Saville donated to numerous entities as part of her estate when she passed in 2004. One of those was the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar. Saville’s donation was deposited into a CD that generated interest providing annual revenue for the museum. And, Lawrence Garnet Howland remembered us in his will in 2005.

In 2022, a fund for the Heritage Garden was established as a memorial to Gayle Robinson (fifth on left) to ensure the upkeep of the garden as the Late Bloomers, who have cared for the garden for many years, are no longer able to do so.

In 2023, William Melville Dunn III, "Bill", age 92, of Stillwater, died Thursday, January 5, 2023. In 1985 Bill retired from the Smithsonian and the family moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma. He later served as later as Director of the Sheerar Museum, Stillwater's local history museum. Contributions can be made in remembrance of Bill to the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar.

As you can see, these folks understood the need and made it possible to provide continuing support to the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar. You, too, can help ensure the museum’s future by remembering the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar in your will and trust. Or, consider setting up a fund through the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. These are just some of the ways you can ensure that the organization that has already received so much of your generous support can continue to carry out its mission of being Stillwater’s history museum for future generations.