A Two-Fold Gift of Love

For Dr. Mark and Sue Schulz of Hartley, these words are more than just a favorite Bible verse. They are a way of life.

The Schulz Family - After graduating from Iowa State University in 1970, Dr. Schulz and wife Sue moved to Hartley to join Dr. Keith Weber at the Hartley Veterinary practice, now known as the Animal Medical Center. God had provided the perfect opportunity for them to build a successful business while raising their family in the heartland of America.

The Schulz family now includes three grown children, two daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren. Chris is an elementary school principal and lives in Denison with his wife, Kami, and their two children, Kyler and Kiana. Son Todd entered the medical field as an optometrist and lives in Ankeny with his wife, Melissa. Daughter Sarah enjoys the warmer climate of Austin, Texas where she is employed as assistant director of Fitness and Wellness at the University of Texas.

After 36 years of veterinary medicine Dr. Schulz is planning to retire in May. Mark and Sue will have more time for leisure activities and playing with the grandkids! Giving Back to the Lord - Mark and Sue are quick to give God credit for His abundant blessings in their lives. They know their faith in God has made a difference in raising their family. Mark explains, "Dr. James Dobson says it best in his book, Life on the Edge, 'At the end of your life there are only three things that really matter: 1) Who you loved, 2) Who loved you, and 3) What have you done for the Lord.'"

Mark and Sue enjoy giving their time to the Lord as active members at St. Paul, Hartley. Both enjoy singing in the choir and Mark looks forward to doing more volunteer and service work in his retirement.

Giving their time and resources seems to come naturally to them, but Mark insists it is something they have learned over the years. "Donating to others is a maturing process," he explains. "I now realize that sharing with others is a wonderful blessing in itself and brings us so much joy."

Planning for the Future

By giving his time to the church's Endowment Fund Committee, Mark helped establish a means for others to give to the Lord through their estate planning. As Mark worked with Pastor David Ericksen and the Committee on this project, he and Sue began to consider their own estate plans.

They met Gift Planning Counselor Jim Schroeder on one of his visits to St. Paul. It was a gradual process that took several years before Mark and Sue knew what they wanted to accomplish. They wanted to provide a benefit for their children, as well as teach them how to give back to the Lord by giving to others. So they turned to Jim for advice.

Planning for Tax Deferred Assets

Like many couples today, the main focus for Mark and Sue in their planning was on their tax deferred assets. These assets are meant by the government for retirement income and are a challenge to pass on to family without losing a large portion in taxes. They worked with Schroeder and their attorney to implement a plan that has a portion of their tax deferred assets going into a Family Gift Fund. Their children will decide which charities receive annual gifts from this fund. This provided an opportunity for their children to grow in their joy of giving.

The remaining tax deferred assets went into a charitable trust with the LCMS Foundation. This helped them accomplish their two goals: 1) to provide an income stream for their children for 20 years and 2) to provide a gift of the trust principal for their favorite ministries at the end of the 20-year income period.

Mark and Sue are happy to have an estate plan that reflects their Christian faith and look forward to meeting with Jim periodically to review any changes that may occur over time.

Loving the Lord with All Your Heart

As they enter a new chapter in their lives, Mark and Sue know some things will change. One thing they know will never change is the love they have for the Lord. "I always tell my children as you go through life, whatever you do, keep checking back to see what's in God's Word," says Dr. Schulz. That's good advice for all of us.