Central College received a gift of more than $860,000 from the estate of Helen Diehl, a longtime friend of the college, to make a Central education possible for students from Jasper County.

Diehl was a lifelong resident of Newton, and was president and co-owner of the Jasper County Abstract Company for more than 40 years. She retired in 1983.

Diehl’s second husband, John N. Diehl, a Newton attorney, served on Central’s Board of Trustees. He was instrumental in helping secure gifts to the college from several generous benefactors, including John and Gertrude Geisler, for whom the college’s library is named. John died in 1984.

Helen Diehl also established in her will an endowed scholarship in memory of her late husband.

The John and Helen Diehl Endowed Scholarship provides scholarships to students from Jasper County to attend Central.

Helen Diehl was a member of Central’s Heritage Roll of Honor and Cornerstone Society. She made her first gift to Central in 1979 and set up her estate gift with Central in 1990. Both Helen and John also were key players in Central’s Heritage Day, an annual tradition that recognizes those who generously support the college.

Helen Diehl died Feb. 9, 2018, in Newton at age 96.

“We are forever grateful for this impactful gift and the Diehls’ commitment to Central College,” says Sunny Gonzales Eighmy, a 1999 Central graduate and vice president for advancement. “Helen and John were both lifelong friends of the college, and their tremendous generosity will never be forgotten. The impact they made on the Central family can still be felt today and will matter to future students into perpetuity.”