VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 1 | WINTER 2014
NEWS
Planned Giving
Land gift leaves a legacy Thanks to Valerie Wilson, the land that has such a deep connection to the Wilson family’s past will create a bright future for the University of Lethbridge.
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ust north of Cochrane, there is a piece of land nestled in the rolling hills, basking in Alberta’s big sky and offering a coveted view at every turn. The land holds history: decades of hard work, honesty and integrity are entrenched in every foot of its fertile soil. “When my father-in-law, George Wilson, came to Cochrane in 1905 from North Dakota, he settled on two quarters and broke the land,” says Valerie Wilson, who keeps the land and the three Wilson men who devoted their lives to working it close to her heart. “George passed his work ethic, dignity and commitment to community to his
sons, my husband Murray and his brother Carl. They were gentle men who lived with the land.” Over the years, the Wilson family estate grew. Valerie and Murray spent 17 years together, working hard, ranching and raising one of Alberta’s finest herds before Murray sadly passed away in 2006. “He worked 55 years without a day off,” Valerie says of Murray, who was one of the most respected cattlemen in the province. Although all three Wilson men are gone now, their legacy lives on through Valerie and her vision for the property. The land that has such a deep connection to the family’s past will create a bright
future for the University of Lethbridge. Valerie has donated a piece of this heritage property to the U of L, which will benefit the institution, its researchers and students for generations to come. “The gift to the U of L is a reflection of my husband, brother-in-law and father-in-law, and their lives and work in agriculture,” Valerie sentimentally explains. “The U of L of was one of my picks because so many of our rural children go there, many of them studying agriculture.” An accomplished businesswoman and skillful investor, Valerie has high Story continued on next page