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Pete and Lorine Martin Family Builders Fund

Fund Number: 243

Fund Purpose
Provides support as directed by the HCCF Board of Directors for programs or activities that fulfill charitable or other exempt purposes benefiting Harrison County.

Fund Story
Susan Pierson and her siblings established a builder’s fund at the Harrison County Community Foundation to honor their parents, Pete and Lorine Martin, in March 2016. The Pete and Lorine Martin Family Builder’s Fund provides support as directed by the HCCF Board of Directors for programs or activities that fulfill charitable or other exempt purposes benefiting Harrison County.

Pete and Lorine, lifelong residents of Harrison County, married on Jan. 24, 1951. They made their home in New Salisbury.

Pete, who passed away in February 2020, was active in the county throughout his life. He served on the Ramsey Volunteer Fire Department, Harrison County EMS and the Harrison County Hospital Board of Directors, and he worked for Martin’s Body Shop in New Salisbury and Uhl Truck Sales in Palmyra. Lorine has kept the household running throughout her life, and she is an active gardener.

Susan said her parents were always supportive of her and her siblings, David Martin and Cheryl Davidson, teaching them that if there was something they wanted to do, they could put their minds to it and do it.

Susan and her siblings, as well as their children and grandchildren, live locally and enjoy spending family time with Lorine. They attend the same church – St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Bradford – and they have many family gatherings each year.

“We’ve always valued our family and our parents, and we’ve always been really close and we’re lucky enough to have everybody in the same area,” Susan said.

Susan said she and her family members believe it’s important to support Harrison County because they know the county will give back to them if they support it, and they hope youth in the county will stay and help the community thrive.

Susan joined the HCCF board in January 2015 after being a community volunteer with the foundation the year before. She said she and her family members support HCCF because it’s an avenue that allows people to give back to and support the community.

“The foundation is a great way to do that and cover lots of different interests at the same time,” she said.

Susan and her family established their builder’s fund during Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Gift VI initiative, a challenge grant that encouraged community foundations throughout Indiana to raise unrestricted funds.

“I thought it was a good use of our money,” Susan said. “It gave us an opportunity to acknowledge and honor Mom and Dad. It was not a difficult thing to do, so that made it more attractive to establish the fund.”

Susan said she likes that HCCF’s Board of Directors will have the freedom to make decisions that will allow the money in the builder’s fund, along with other builder’s funds, to help the community. She also recommends that others create builder’s funds because the foundation has made it easy to establish one.

“Just ask the foundation any questions you have to better understand how it can be utilized,” Susan said.

Fund Impact
2017: Arts Midwest World Fest, Manhu
2018: Provided accessible garden and landscaping at Boys & Girls Club facility; provided Meals on Wheels for Harrison County clients on wait list
2019: To rehabilitate women's transitional housing (Genesis House; Harrison County Cultural Pass 2019; 2019 Repair Affair annual project; new roof for Hayswood Theatre

Donation Information
Clicking "Donate" will allow you to make a gift online to this fund through the Harrison County Community Foundation. If you would like to provide your gift by check instead of by debit or credit card, please send your gift to our office at P. O. Box 279, Corydon, Indiana 47112. Additionally, gifts of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, agricultural products, real estate, insurance, and estate plans are also accepted. Please contact us at 812-738-6668 for more information.