Fern Zobrist & Paul Grieder, Jr. Scholarship Endowment Fund for Bethel Lutheran Preschool
A scholarship endowment helping Bethel Lutheran Preschool families give their children a Christ-centered start in life.
This fund was started in March of 2026 by Fern Zobrist Grieder Zimmerman's family to provide annual need-based tuition scholarships for children enrolled in Bethel Lutheran Preschool in Morton, Illinois, helping families who may need financial assistance to afford a Christ-centered early childhood education.Founding Story:
The Fern Zobrist & Paul Grieder, Jr. Scholarship Endowment Fund for Bethel Lutheran Preschool was established by family members to honor the lives and legacy of Fern Zobrist Zimmerman and her late husband, Paul Grieder, Jr. Lifelong residents of Central Illinois, Fern and Paul built a family rooted in faith, education, and community. They raised three children and were blessed with nine grandchildren, many of whom — along with their own children — have attended Bethel Lutheran Preschool.
The family created this endowment to celebrate that shared connection and to ensure that future generations of children can experience the same nurturing, Christ-centered early education. Bethel Lutheran Preschool provides young learners with a foundation not only in early academics but also in kindness, confidence, and faith.
A special family memory illustrates the lasting impact of the preschool experience. In the 2005 Bethel Lutheran Preschool Christmas program, Fern and Paul’s great-grandson Nick Guerra appeared alongside classmate Charis Short. Nearly two decades later, Nick and Charis were married in January 2024, a joyful reminder of how relationships and memories formed in early childhood can carry forward through life.
As an endowed fund at the Morton Community Foundation, gifts to this scholarship will be invested for long-term growth, with annual distributions providing tuition assistance for Bethel Lutheran Preschool families who need a little extra help. Through this fund, Fern and Paul’s legacy of faith, family, and generosity will continue to support young children and their families for generations to come.
Friends, family members, and members of the community are invited to support the Fern Zobrist & Paul Grieder, Jr. Scholarship Endowment Fund. Gifts of any size will help grow the endowment and expand the number of preschool families who can benefit from this opportunity.
Together, we can ensure that more children in our community have the chance to begin their education in a caring, Christ-centered environment at Bethel Lutheran Preschool.
Make a Gift Today
Your contribution will help provide tuition assistance for Bethel Lutheran Preschool students for years to come.