A carpenter from Iowa secretly saved up a fortune of millions, gifting the money after his death to fund 33 college scholarships for students unable to afford post-secondary education.
Dale Schroeder worked for 67 years at the same carpentry business in Des Moines, never married and had no living descendants.
He was described as a “blue-collar, lunch-pail kind of guy” who had two pairs of jeans, “one for work and one for church,” his lawyer Steve Nielson told CNN affiliate KCCI.
Nielson said Schroeder wanted to set up a scholarship fund since he hadn’t had the opportunity to go to college, and wanted other young Iowans to get a chance they would miss out on due to financial woes.
“So finally I asked him, I was curious, I said ‘how much are we talking here Dale?’ and he said ‘oh, just shy of 3 million,’” said Nielson. “I nearly fell out of my chair in shock.”
Thirty-three students have received a scholarship thanks to Schroeder since his death in 2005, and in honour of the man who gave them the chance he never had, call themselves ‘Dale’s kids.’
