Betty Gesche was born and raised in Menomonie. She graduated from Menomonie High School in 1943. Betty had a passion for her community. She was also extremely passionate about the local sports teams. Even in the nursing home she would listen to every Badger’s, Packer’s, Brewer’s, and Mustang’s game on the radio.
Throughout her life she donated generously to many charities both locally and internationally. Her brother Francis Eiseth said, she was a philanthropist, although she was very private and often gave anonymously. Even after her death Betty Gesche wanted ensure two things that her family and community were taken care of.
Betty left a significant portion of her estate to charity. One of the gifts was to the Community Foundation of Dunn County (CFDC) to set up an endowment fund to benefit the local school district. With these funds the CFDC created The Betty Gesche Fund for Menomonie Athletics. Her gift will help with the building of the MHS Sports Complex, where her name will be forever recognized as a devoted supporter of Menomonie Athletics.
As an endowed fund her donation will exist perpetually to help with the maintenance and upkeep of the stadium or any other athletic department needs at Menomonie Public Schools.
Betty’s legacy will live on in Menomonie benefiting countless students. Betty’s own great grand nieces and nephews will be able to play sports in the MHS Sports Complex. CFDC Executive Director Georgina Tegart said, “It is an honor to help people like Betty leave a legacy. I am very glad we were able to set up a fund relate to her personal passion for sports. Naming a charity as the beneficiary of your retirement account is an excellent example of how easy it is to leave a lasting impact in your community.”
In 2015, The Foundation sat down for a Q & A session with Betty’s brother, Francis Eiseth and nieces, Barb Lindberg and Linda Lentz to reflect on Betty’s charitable legacy. Here is what they had to say:
Q. What is your definition of philanthropy?
A. We have heard the word but not until we joined the Women’s Giving Circle. I guess I always thought that philanthropists were very wealthy members of the community, but once I realized that I could even do that at a pretty local level and we can really make a difference, it really resonated with me. For a group of individuals like us to come together and be just as, if not even more effective, than one very wealthy individual is truly an amazing gift. Promoting WGC has been a lot of fun because of how much it has grown in the first two years. Next year will be very exciting to see how much more we can raise and put back into our community.
Q. Why did Betty give back to her community?
A. She lived here her whole life and really loved this community and wanted to try to improve everything and anything she could. The funds she has given to the high school sports complex was somewhat surprising to us, given that she did not have children of her own, but she loved and followed sports on all levels, especially at the high school level. We had kids that played sports and she was always so supportive of their athleticism. Unfortunately, she was not able to attend many of the games but she would listen to them on the radio.
Q. What causes were near and dear to Betty’s heart?
A. Her church was definitely one of the greatest passions of her life. She also contributed quite a bit towards Luther Park. Then of course, sports; especially at the high school level. She also loved books and gave money to local libraries. Even when it became very difficult for her to read, she would use a magnifying device. Betty also gave to family members. Every time a new family member was born Betty would send money to the family; even to extended family members on her late husband’s side after his passing. It was her way of keeping in touch and contributing to their welfare.