Gordon G. Everett Family Fund ~ History Repeats Itself
As part of our yearlong 30th anniversary celebration, we will continue to learn more about our history and share the amazing stories of the dedicated community partners who helped us get here. The OCF was, and remains, made with community as local nonprofits, individuals, volunteers, donors, and businesses have built the foundation brick by brick making it the force of good in Otsego County that it is today. From the beginning Gordon G. Everett has been a cornerstone of the OCF, inspiring others through his active generosity and today his legacy continues.
In the early nineties, Gordon was part of a visionary group of volunteers who saw the opportunity to create something impactful and lasting by forming a community foundation. In 1998, he pledged to match dollar-for-dollar gifts to the OCCF up to $70,000. This was his way of inviting and inspiring other Otsego County residents to invest in the county’s future and be a part of something bigger.
“This donation was a real milestone. It was a kickstart for getting the community involved and creating awareness of its existence. This was one of those keystone moments, in my opinion, to getting the foundation on its feet and moving us forward.”
– Marcus Wegmeyer, OCF board chair 1998.
Given his love for community, this pledge was no surprise. Originally from Southfield Township, Gordon was a World War II veteran who was one of the first American soldiers into Berlin. He helped organize the Potsdam Conference as part of his military service. He developed tuberculosis while in Germany, and when he returned to the United States, he spent a year recovering in the Northern Michigan Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Gaylord.
Gordon moved to the Upper Peninsula after recuperating and met his wife Marlene, her daughters Janice and Cindy, and her son Doug. The family moved to Gaylord in 1960, and Gordon started publishing the Northern Star Advertiser and along with Marlene, grew his business to include other publications. They were a team, according to Marlene’s son, Doug Johnson.
“He was larger than life—a tall man with a booming voice and a laugh that could be heard across the room. He didn’t do anything halfway. Whether it was his businesses, his Arabian horses, sailing, his farm, his family, his community, or his philanthropy, Gordon was all in.”
– Doug and Sherry Johnson, Gordon Everett’s son and daughter-in-law.
Gordon wanted everyone around him to succeed and facilitated that in many ways. When 1-75 was proposed to come through northern MI in the late 1960’s, Gaylord businesses were run down and not thriving. Gordon saw an opportunity for the town he loved. He, along with other Gaylord businesspeople, urged downtown businesses to spruce up their storefronts and shops and create a place where people would want to visit. He created the Alpine theme that Gaylord is known for and what sets it apart from other Northern Michigan towns. He collaborated with bankers to create low intertest loans so that the vision for a thriving downtown could come to fruition. We all have Gordon to thank for the beautiful streets of downtown Gaylord.
In 2000, Gordon and Marlene created the Gordon G. Everett Family Fund of the OCF. Established as a donor advised fund, the family has used the fund to support local causes near and dear to them including the Otsego County Historical Society, Otsego Christian School as well as many others.
Since Gordon’s passing in 2003, and Marlene’s passing in 2022, the family has been exploring ways to continue Gordon’s legacy for positive impact in the community with the Gordon G. Everett Family Fund of the Otsego Community Foundation and the Gordon G. Everett Foundation, a private foundation. The first step was converting the Gordon G. Everett Family Fund from a donor advised fund to a Fund for the Community. Funds for the Community are a special collection of funds that provide flexible, far-reaching, and long-term charitable support to help communities across Otsego County become stronger, healthier, more vibrant, and ready to meet whatever needs and opportunities the future brings. (Insert Logo for all funds for community). The second step was transferring the assets from the private foundation to the Gordon G. Everett Family Fund of the OCF.
“We appreciate the OCF, particularly for its transparency and integrity. We trust that the money in this fund will go toward the greatest opportunities and largest needs of the community. Gordon spent his life ensuring that Gaylord would thrive, and his memory and wishes will live on through this fund and the partnership with the OCF.”
-Doug and Sherry Johnson
Nearly three decades later, the legacy of Gordon continues as his family has renewed this commitment, as every dollar given to any fund at the OCF will be matched with a gift to the Gordon G. Everett Family Fund of the OCF up to $70,000.
“Mom and Dad would be smiling now at how that money has been used to strengthen the community they were passionate about.” – Doug Johnson
Otsego County continues to reap the benefits of Gordon’s generosity and foresight. History has shown us that gifts today will make a difference in our community for generations to come. We invite you to become a part of the made with community tradition established in 1994 and take this opportunity to double your donation’s impact. We are deeply grateful to the Everett family for honoring Gordon’s vision of encouraging Otsego County residents to invest in the future and be a part of something bigger. Together, we will build on thirty years of progress by pursuing the community’s greatest opportunities and addressing the most critical challenges, inclusively uniting people, organizations, and resources from the community, producing significant, widely shared, and lasting results.
