Foundation for the Future of Delaware County Endowment Fund

Success Story

When Larry Tinker died during harvest season, his sisters Sharon and Phyllis were amazed by the support they received from his neighbors and friends. You really know that there's people there for you and you can count on them in a smaller town, says Phyllis. Just one week after the funeral, neighbors and friends came with tractors and combines to his farm near Edgewood to help harvest Larry's final crop. They all showed up on his farm to harvest Larry's corn,she adds, That meant a lot. Larry received a degree in ag business after high school. The Tinker sisters recognize this as the key to him independently managing the family farm. To honor the role education played in his life, the Tinker family established the Larry Tinker FFA Scholarship Endowment at the Foundation for the Future of Delaware County. The fund pays out 5% annually to provide scholarships for students seeking higher education in agriculture. He always knew he wanted to farm, but he realized there was value in learning more beyond what high school agriculture could teach him, says Sharon with a smile. He understood that farming is a modern business, you need to keep getting better, you need to keep incorporating technology in order to be successful for farming. We want the family farms to continue and feel like this is our part helping with that, says Phyllis. It's nice to know that this endowment allows us to provide assistance for other people in perpetuity. Inspired to give back, Sharon and Phyllis have also established their own funds at the Foundation. Phyllis started the West Delaware Business Scholarship Endowment. Sharon, a former Exxon Mobil chemical engineer, established the West Delaware STEM Endowment. I see it as a way of paying back in appreciation for everything that I received to help establish myself in my career, adds Sharon. To me giving back is just a way to say thanks. Read more stories about the impact we're making in Delaware County by visiting www.dbqfoundation.org/FFDC.