Roger and Marcia Liebig, from Gettysburg, recently established a Variable Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity with The Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern South Dakota. Marcia is the daughter of Lyle Griese who was a long time participant in the Gettysburg Fishing Tournament. He established the Griese family endowment to benefit t seminarian education in memory of his wife Josephine after she died. He died in 2011. Roger and Marcia Liebig received money from her dad’s estate and chose to use the money to establish the variable deferred charitable gift annuity. It is a way for them to have some income to supplement their retirement with the remainder of the annuity at the time of their deaths going to the Griese Family Endowment to carry on their family legacy. 

The Liebig’s have two sons and one daughter (a third son is deceased). They are members of Sacred Heart Parish, Gettysburg. The endowment became Marcia’s dad’s passion. He wanted “to continue to provide funding for seminarian education,” said Marcia. “I was aware that he had an annuity with the Catholic Community Foundation which upon his death was his donation. It made it very easy for us as his family.” The Liebig’s wanted to also make it easy for their own children going forward and, Marcia says, the children are supportive of their parents’ decision. Heather Fortin, of the Catholic Foundation for Eastern South Dakota, says this decision is special. “I believe it plants seeds,” she said. “Because an endowment is established it creates a document allowing loved ones to know what ministries are important to you.”  

The Liebig’s love being part of the Bishop’s Charity Fishing Tournament each year, another gift from Marcia’s dad and from the late Msgr. Marvin McPhee. “When attending these [events], the persistent energy to donate to the seminarian education was also greatly influenced by Msgr. Marvin McPhee,” Marcia pointed out. “Who could say ‘no’ to the Monsignor?”