"Violet Mosiej was my sister-in-law, who I knew for 52 years. Her Husband was my husband's brother. After her husband passed away in 1969, I always went to see her one day on every weekend, even though she lived on the north side, and I lived on the south side. She was a lovely lady, that's the best way to describe her.

She was a banker for many years at Northern Trust, where she worked in stocks and bonds. She was an avid reader and felt strongly about certain charitable organizations. Your's was one of them.

Unfortunately, she had diabetes for 45 years and had many problems with her eyesight. I'm not sure she ever was able to visit the Lighthouse, but she always loved reading your publications. After she started having troubles with her eyesight and she wasn't able to read as well, I would read them to her. Then she would ask me to write a check to you as a small token - perhaps just $7 or $10. She loved doing just a little something, knowing that people who are blind or visually impaired would benefit.

Although Violet never had children, she was well loved by many. When she passed away this past October, I was on a trip. She didn't wait for me to come home! But, she was a lovely, lovely lady. She is solely missed by those who knew her.

"In her trust, I was named as trustee. Also, in her trust, Violet left your organization a percentage of her estate. When I wrote that check to The Chicago Lighthouse, it gave me such pleasure. I knew what good it would do for people who are blind or visually impaired. And that was part of what made Violet so great: she knew that by helping others, she would also be helping herself."

The Chicago Lighthouse salutes Violet Mosiej for her tremendous generosity and thoughtfulness.

Recently, The Chicago Lighthouse received a generous donation from the Florence Lawson Trust. The trust was created by Florence and Wallace Lawson. Florence recently passed away on October 14, 2004, and Wallace previously passed away on July 20, 2002.

Donald Spapperi had been a close friend and next door neighbor of the couple since 1976. He was also the successor trustee of the Florence Lawson Trust and the executor of her will. Previously, Donald had encouraged the Lawsons, who he warmly calls Flo and Wally, to create a will and do their estate planning. He felt that this was especially important since the couple had no living descendants. The Lawsons then asked Donald to be the trustee of their trusts and the executor of their wills. "I said that would be fine," he says. "We were like extended family. In fact, they often came over for holidays."

The Lawsons apparently never directly received services from the Lighthouse. However, they "often talked about members of their family who suffered vision problems. This was their reason to give to the Lighthouse, " explains Donald. "The Lighthouse seemed like a very deserving organization."

Besides having a strong compassion for people, Florence and Wallace also had sensitivity for the well-being of animals. and, their gifts proved to be life-saving in one instance. one of the beneficiaries of the trust was a cat shelter. Remarkably, the Lawson's estate administration attorney said that this gift helped save not-for-profit cat shelter from going bankrupt. "If it wasn't for their generous gift," he proudly states, "I don't think this shelter would still be in existence today!" With affection, Donald describes Florence. "She had suffered from a hearing disability her whole life. She was very quiet. But, she had the wonderful quality of being extremely giving!"

The Chicago Lighthouse greatly appreciates the kindness of Florence and Wallace Lawson. Thanks to their thoughtfulness, their legacy will live on at the Lighthouse.

The Samuelson Society recognizes those who have made a planned gift to The Lighthouse, such as through their will or trust. Here are a few stories about some of our very special members:

One member of The Samuelson Society says we are one of her two favorite charities! Accordingly, she wanted to remember us after she is gone.  She loves reading all of the publications we send her. In addition, she tells all of her friends, when in Midway Airport , “to be sure to visit and patronize The Lighthouse’s kiosk!”

One new member prefers to be anonymous. (We always seek to honor our donors’ wishes!) Before this woman retired, she was a house keeper and worked for one family for many years. She was very close to the family, and one of the family’s relatives was on The Lighthouse’s Board of Directors about fifty years ago. Accordingly, she knew first-hand about all of the great things The Lighthouse does! As a result, our donor has named The Lighthouse as one of the beneficiaries in her will.

Recently, a very satisfied patient of the Low Vision Clinic named us as one of the beneficiaries of her will. When she visited the Clinic, among other things, she received new glasses that truly helped her see better.  “For the first time in a long time now,” the patient said delightedly, “with these new glasses, I am able to knit again!” After receiving such helpful assistance from the Clinic, she felt that naming The Lighthouse as one of the beneficiaries of her will was the best way for her to give something back.

We are very pleased to welcome our donors to The Samuelson Society!

The Chicago Lighthouse, Don Morrow decided to do even more. Consequently, he completed a charitable gift annuity with the Lighthouse.  Don spent a great deal of thought before deciding to complete a charitable gift annuity. He refers to himself as a “saver,” having learned lessons from experiencing the Great Depression. He feels the good news about a charitable gift annuity is that he is able to give a gift to The Lighthouse while receiving payments in return. As Don explains, “I feel great knowing I can count on these payments for the rest of my life.”

Don’s relationship with the Lighthouse stretches back to the early 1970s, when he moved to Chicago. Working for the federal government at that time, he was anxious to make contact with an agency for the blind. Not only does Don have a strong background in rehabilitation services, but he is also blind. “I took the initiative and had to make myself known,” says Don. That initiative led him to discover The Lighthouse.

By 1975, Don was asked to be a member of the Board.  “I was a good candidate for the Board,” explains Don, “being totally blind, among other things.”

Don has now been retired for over 12 years.  However, he has maintained an active interest in, and support of, The Chicago Lighthouse and other organizations for the blind and visually impaired.  Part of Dons support of the Lighthouse has been completing the charitable gift annuity. He says excitedly, “I’d like to give some money away while I’m living. I think I can afford to give some away to some of my favorite charities, and The Lighthouse is certainly one of them!”