Gracie Heckert Recipient of 2023 Elva Jennings Penwell Nursing Scholarship

Heckert will attend Parkland College to pursue a degree in nursing/health profession.

Bruce V. Penwell, Jr. was born in Pana, Illinois, and graduated from Beecher City High School. He attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and worked in sales and marketing in the animal health industry. After living and working for several years in Raleigh, North Carolina, he retired to St. Joseph, Michigan. Penwell never forgot his ties in Effingham, Shelby, and Christian counties, even when living on the other side of the country.

In 2016, Bruce established the Bruce V. Penwell, Jr. Designated Fund to support two scholarships for Beecher City High School graduates. One scholarship supports students majoring in education in memory of Mabel Laue, a former Beecher City Elementary School teacher. The second scholarship provides financial support to students pursuing a nursing degree, in memory of Elva Jennings Penwell. The Bruce V. Penwell, Jr. Designated Fund awarded its first scholarships (each valued at $3,000) inMay 2017.