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John L. & Alice M. Holden Education Endowment Fund

Established 1997

Alice M. Holden<br>(center of middle row)
Alice M. Holden (center of middle row)

John Holden (1854-1945) and Alice Holden (1863-1942) were brother and sister who resided on Fifth Street in Aurora.

John Holden was born in Blackburn, England.  He immigrated to Aurora with his parents when he was two years old.

Mr. Holden was a baggage carrier with the CB&Q Railroad from 1886 until 1890.  He then became a conductor for the railroad and continued in that position until his retirement in the early 1930s.

For many years, he was in charge of suburban trains between Aurora and Chicago, and became well-known to hundreds of area commuters.

Alice Holden lived her entire life in Aurora.  She began her teaching career in 1882.

In 1909, she was appointed principal of Young School which was located on Fifth Street in Aurora.  She served in that capacity until her retirement in 1932.

Miss Holden also was a highly respected government weather observer, an unlikely avocation for a woman at that time.

She kept daily reports and sent them to the state and federal weather bureaus and to the local press.

Weather forecasters in Chicago and other cities looked upon her reports as models as they reflected accuracy and conscientiousness.

The Holden Endowment Fund was established in 1997 upon the transfer of three trusts administered by Merchants National Bank of Aurora in the name of the couple.

The resulting fund provides income for the educational needs of Aurora students.

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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