Great Stories

Great Stories

MELVINA KILLION, Philanthropist

In 2009, The Central Kansas Community Foundation announced the receipt of the largest single gift in the history of the Foundation. The bequest from the estate of former Wichitan Melvina Killion totaled $1.6 million dollars.

Marnette Hatchett, chairman of the Central Kansas Community Foundation, made the announcement and noted, “We are proud that Mrs. Killion placed her faith and confidence in our Foundation. We understand that she and her husband Lyle owned seven gas service stations in the Wichita area in the 1940’s and 50’s. It’s wonderful that she wanted to give something back to Central Kansas after all these years.”

The gift created the “Melvina C. Killion Charitable Endowment.” Four nonprofit organizations will share the income dis­tributions from the endowment, including the Kansas Christian Home in Newton, Kansas. Other recipients include the Arizona State University Foundation for the benefit of their public television station, The Tennyson Center for Children at the Colorado Christian Home, and Family Time Training, Inc, in Littleton, CO.

Newton resident and retired banker Frank Spangler was a founding board member of the community foundation and worked closely with Mrs. Killion to plan the gift in recent years.

“Melvina was retired and living in the Phoenix area when we first met. She wanted to do something to help the Kansas Christian Home in Newton. Her husband Lyle’s father was a minister and his parents resided at the Home for a number of years. “

According to friends of the Killions, they retired and left Wichita to move to Colorado in the late 1950’s. Later, they moved to the Phoenix area.

Please contribute stories for use on this page to Ashley Bridgeman at ashley@ckcf.net.