Donor Story
Even though he only spent a year on Concordia St. Paul’s campus, the institution made a significant impact on Ken Gratz’s life. Hailing from Atwater, Minn., Gratz enrolled at CSP in 1950 as a high school freshman and found a wonderful Christian community. Sensing that God was not calling Ken into ministry, though, he moved back home and finished high school. After a stint serving in the Marines, Ken attended the Minnesota School of Business where he studied accounting.
Soon thereafter, Ken and his late wife, Alice, moved to Orange County, Calif., where he owned a number of gas stations and an accounting firm. Despite the physical distance from CSP, the institution remained close to Ken’s heart.
Inspired by a former classmate, Ken began to make gifts to CSP, and eventually decided to include the university in his estate plans. Reflecting on the reason for making this commitment, he shares that it’s his way of saying “thank you, God, for everything You gave to me.”
Going a step further in his support of Concordia St. Paul was important to Ken, so he established the Herman Sr. and Martha Gratz Family Endowed Scholarship, named for his grandparents. Ken has invited his family members to support the fund and contribute to this family legacy. Honoring his grandparents was important to Ken because of their faithful love and Christian stewardship. “They always stressed the importance of attending and being active in the church,” he shares.
The endowment provides scholarships for church work students, a cause near and dear to Ken. “[I hope] the true word of God is continued to be taught and preached according to the Bible,” he explains.
With a goal of having the endowment reach $1 million, Ken is excited to help church work students attend CSP tuition-free through the Church Work Tuition Guarantee. “[I am grateful to know] there are going to be more pastors and teachers in the LCMS to teach and preach the truth,” he says.
Ken encourages others to consider directing a portion of their estate to Concordia St. Paul. “Remember that everything we have is given to us by God,” he says. “Giving back is a way to thank God for everything He’s done for us. We deserve nothing, but He’s provided.”