Routh

(l to r): Cassie, Rachelle, Doug, Jordon, Jacob, Joshua, and Chantel

My husband, Doug, and I had often talked about estate planning, but we never seemed to find the time and kept putting it off. Like most people, we were busy. We were running two companies — R. Tech Tool & Machine Inc. in Wamego and Paxico Antiques in Paxico—raising five kids and going to all their school activities, attending church, volunteering for various civic organizations, and everything else that keep all of us so busy.

"Put your
money
where your life is."

Routh family motto

When we decided travel to Japan on vacation in 2008, we knew we couldn’t put it off any longer. Our entire family was getting on an airplane and traveling halfway around the world; it was time to make provisions in the event something happened to us.

We met with our accountant and tax attorney and established a Trust that names our families, two of our favorite charitable organizations, and the Wamego Community Foundation as beneficiaries. Upon our death, the Doug and Rachelle Routh Community Endowment Fund will be established at the Community Foundation. The WCF Board of Directors, as trustees, will determine the areas of the greatest need in and for the Wamego community and will make disbursements from the income of our Endowment Fund each year.

In December 2008, we also established two R. Tech Tool and Machine Scholarship Funds with the Foundation. Every year a student at Wabaunsee High School in Alma and a student at Wamego High School will receive a scholarship. We feel so good that we are able to help deserving students further their education in the field of metal fabrication.

We have been truly blessed in so many ways, and we wanted to give something back to the communities where we live and work.

Sincerely,

Rachelle Routh
Rural Alma

P.S. I also joined the board of the Wamego Community Foundation in January 2009 as a community advisor because I see the great things they are doing for the community, and I wanted to be a part of it!