Minnesota Farmer Gives Away a Fortune

Garrison Keillor famously talks about the “Norwegian bachelor farmers” that inhabit his version of the Minnesota landscape — frugal, hard-working, silent types. Well, I'm not sure if Harvey Ordung came from Norwegian stock or not, but he sure was frugal and hard-working, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune does in fact refer to him as a “bachelor farmer.” But he's not your average agriculturalist; A recent article describes his donation of $4.5 million to southwestern Minnesota charities.

Ordung, a confirmed bachelor and farmer in Luverne, Minn., knew how to pinch a penny. He also knew how to invest wisely; his frugality and market smarts allowed him to amass $9.3 million before his death in October 2007.

The donation checks were distributed at Luverne's elementary school, where beneficiaries met with estate representatives to receive their sudden windfall. The Luverne Dollars for Scholars organization, founded by a longtime friend of Ordung's, Gregg Gropel, got the most substantial gift — $2,927,447.93. Gropel said that as a bachelor with no children of his own, Ordung wanted to support young people.

Another organization that received a substantial amount — more than $292,000 — was the Mary Jane Brown Nursing Home, where Ordung spent the last three years of his life.

Just goes to show that you can't judge a farmer by his overalls. You never know when you might bump into a multimillionaire.

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