Rineharts leave Northern a legacy gift of $235,000

Press release

Kremlin residents Robert “Bob” and Kathryn (Johnson) Rinehart left multiple donations posthumously for gifts to Montana State University-Northern in the care of the MSU-Northern Foundation, including the latest gift from their estate of $235,000.

The Rineharts, life-long residents of the Hi-Line, were philanthropic through their wills to various charities in the area. While neither Bob nor Kathryn appeared to have attended Northern, both indicated intent for gifts to be given from their estate to support the university, specifically nursing students.

The initial gift came after Kathryn Rinehart died. Her will indicated that she would like to give a gift to Northern via the Foundation to set up an endowment to support nursing students. Her gift set up the Kathryn Rinehart Nursing Scholarship Endowment, a fund that now has $9,000 and will be fully endowed when interest earned back into the endowment brings the balance to the threshold of $10,000.

The most recent gift of $235,000 came after Bob Rinehart passed away with a gift from their estate, also to be endowed to fund scholarships for students in the nursing program in perpetuity. The two endowments from the Rineharts combined are a gift of $245,000 endowed that will fund the Robert and Kathryn Endowed Nursing Scholarship.

“We are humbled by gifts from private supporters to our university,” Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel said. “Thanks to generous people like the Rineharts, we can continue to give our students an affordable education.”

“Estate planning and endowments are a wonderful way to leave behind a legacy, support Northern students and support north-central Montana,” said Shantel Cronk, executive director for the MSU-Northern Foundation. “We are thankful for every gift and extremely appreciative of the Rineharts who will forever be remembered through their scholarships.”

Starting in the 2022 award season, Bob and Kathryn Rinehart’s scholarships to Northern will bring more than $7,000 a year to Northern nursing students, forever.

Northern’s Foundation is a 501(c)3 with the mission is to engage alumni and friends of the university, enrich student experiences and provide ethical stewardship while supporting the university’s strategic goals.