As part of estate plans one couple has made a testamentary gift of $50,000 to Northwest Missouri State University.

Dan and Martha said they believe giving students an education is a gift that last a lifetime. Dan completed his bachelor’s degree at Northwest in agricultural business in 1988

“If we can help them with a scholarship, it can make an impact,” he said.

Having grown up in Underwood, Iowa, Dan was active on his family’s cattle and row crop farm and understood then the importance of furthering his education. He chose to attend Northwest because of its proximity to the farm and the recommendation of Joe Pickard, a 1981 Northwest alumnus, his FFA teacher and mentor.

“At the time I went to get my degree, my family had been in the farming business for several generations, but the farming economy was very difficult,” Dan said. “We didn’t know if it was going to be a viable way to make a living and I knew I needed a degree.”

Today, the Petersons, with Dan’s parents, operate Peterson Angus Farms Inc. and their DuPont Pioneer Seed Corn agency.