Cyril Spangler met his sweetheart, Beverly, at a dance in Johnson Creek the week before he left for a station in Korea. When he returned, it seemed everyone had moved away or gotten married, and he decided the bachelor life was for him. One fateful night he ran into Bev at a bar, and by that Thanksgiving they had tied the knot. Together they raised two hard-working daughters, Denise and Donna, who both ended up studying at MATC in the 70s, pursuing health related fields at the downtown campus.
Cy and Bev supported their daughters during these years, encouraging them to spend their time studying instead of worrying about working. With this, both daughters thrived at school and throughout their careers. Denise continued on to earn both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
When Denise tragically passed in late 2021, Cy remembered the start both his girls got at Madison College. He thought about the hard-working students out there who he could support, like he did his daughters, and decided to establish a nursing scholarship.
Several years ago, one of Cy’s aunts passed away. Like many of her generation, she had worked hard to save money, and was very careful where she spent it. As a result, she left him Exxon-Mobil stock in her will, because she owned a gas station in Jefferson, WI. Cy was considering the options for donating in the midst of an overall rough stock market, but one in which gasoline stocks were strong. By gifting the stocks directly to the Madison College Foundation, Cy was able to make a significant gift while not having to pay capital gains taxes.
The Spangler’s of Watertown Endowed Nursing Scholarship will now provide scholarship support to nursing students who, like Denise and Donna, are excited about working in a field that is so critical in our community. The scholarship begins awarding this fall.