Scholarship Spotlight: Cornelius J. Geimer Scholarship
Cornelius Geimer died at the age of 86 on September 29, 1987. He was born in 1901 in Wisconsin and on January 25, 1936, he married Lillian Broecker in Chicago. Mrs. Geimer died in 1983. They had no children.
Mr. Geimer was a 1919 graduate of Two Rivers High School in Wisconsin. In the 1920’s he moved to Chicago and in 1943 made his way to Sturgis. Geimer worked for Freeman Manufacturing as the merchandising manager. He also owned and operated Spring River Farm on St. Joseph Road where he raised Aberdeen Angus cattle. A naturalist, Mr. Geimer cared deeply for animals. Upon his death, he had a provision in his will that the feeding of the birds on his property be gradually tapered off in a humane manner so that the birds learned to seek other means of food.
Mr. Geimer established an unrestricted fund at the Sturgis Area Community Foundation upon his death. An unrestricted fund allows the Board of Trustees to decide on the most worthy recipients. Mr. Geimer also established a scholarship fund at the Sturgis Public Schools. In 1999, the Schools decided to place this fund with the Sturgis Area Community Foundation.