Family establishes scholarship to assist South Harrison, Gilman City, Ridgeway students

July 26, 2022

The family of Lewis and Elda Israel, pictured above, has set up a scholarship in their memory. The scholarship, which is being awarded for the first time during the 2022-23 academic year, is designated for high school seniors in the communities of Bethany, Ridgeway and Gilman City, Missouri. (Submitted photos)

High school seniors who attend South Harrison, Gilman City and Ridgeway high schools and plan to attend Northwest Missouri State University are now eligible to apply for a new scholarship in memory of Northwest alumni Lewis and Elda Israel.

Alexanderia Fenimore, a freshman instrumental music education major from Bethany, Missouri, is the first recipient of the Lewis and Elda Israel Scholarship for the 2022-23 academic year. She is the daughter of Brad and Jennifer Fenimore.

Alexanderia Fenimore

Clark Israel, a son of Lewis and Elda, presented Fenimore with a certificate to commemorate the scholarship award during a recognition night in May at South Harrison High School.

“I am extremely grateful to have received the Lewis and Elda Israel Memorial Scholarship,”  Fenimore said. “It is extremely special to become the first recipient of such a great scholarship, which I am sure will help many more students like me in the future.”

The $500 scholarship is available to students graduating from the high schools with preference given to a student entering Northwest as a freshman with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Recipients may be enrolled in any discipline, though preference is given to students studying elementary or secondary education.

“It was a pleasure to work on the details of this fund with the Israel family,” Sam Mason, a major gift officer with Northwest’s Office of University Advancement, said. “The family is so pleased to honor their parents and the contributions they made in their lifetimes to the communities of Bethany, Ridgeway and Gilman City.”

Lewis Israel graduated from Ridgeway High School in 1927 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Northwest in 1931. He served as the editor of the Harrison County Republican Clipper from 1961 to 1975. 

Elda Neill Israel graduated from Bethany High School in 1937 and earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Northwest in 1969 as well as a master’s degree in 1973. She taught for 20 years in Gilman City and Bethany schools. 

While the couple raised six children, one daughter, Susan Israel-Nelson, earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Northwest in 1989.

“Northwest Missouri State University was very important to our parents,” Israel-Nelson, who now resides in Spring, Texas, said. “This scholarship should assist deserving students and serve to memorialize the impact of our parents in Harrison County.”

Students who are interested in applying for the Lewis and Elda Memorial Scholarship are encouraged to speak with their high school counselor.

For more information about the Lewis and Elda Israel Scholarship or to make a gift to support Northwest, contact the Northwest Foundation at 660.562.1248 or visit www.nwmissouri.edu/GiveOnline.