Small McPherson College Gets $1 Million Gift

A small central Kansas college has received a $1 million gift from a deceased Arkansas woman.

Central Christian College announced on Tuesday that it had received the estate gift from Lela Hudson Honkonen of Batesville, Ark., who died in April. It was the largest estate gift ever given to the college in McPherson.

Honkonen graduated from Central Christian in 1937. She worked 43 years for the federal government as a transportation specialist. She wanted the gift used for tuition and books for financially challenged students.

The gift will go to the President’s Opportunity Grant Program, which was started this summer to support students who work to pay for their education.

In 2009, Honkonen’s sister, Altha Hudson, left more than $800,000 to Central Christian College.

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Associated Pres information from: The Hutchinson News