Brummel leaves a legacy

Brummel leaves a legacy

Ron Brummel was a frugal man -- a Vietnam veteran who loved his country and family. A lifelong Catholic, Ron remained a bachelor all his life and was beloved by his siblings, nieces and nephews. He worked for 50 years at his family’s Star Lumber and Supply, where he was the longtime credit manager.

Ron worried about whether he had saved enough money to cover his living expenses in retirement.

When he opened his complete financial information to his nephew, Patrick Goebel, Patrick knew that his uncle needed a plan to manage his significant assets, both while he was living and after his death. The money he had saved would not only allow him to live comfortably in retirement, but could create a lasting legacy after he was gone.

Patrick explained to Ron that without a will or estate documents, the state would determine how his money was disbursed. Ron did not want that to happen and together they visited an attorney to establish an irrevocable trust. Rather than determining for himself which organizations would benefit from his estate, he left those decisions up to his siblings, telling Patrick, “If it is important to them, it is important to me.”

The family lost Ron on Nov. 1, 2020, at the age of 77. As Patrick closed out his uncle’s affairs, one of his last tasks was to deliver checks to the 28 charities that Ron’s siblings had identified.

We are grateful that Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter and St. Anthony Family Shelter were among the agencies receiving sizeable gifts from Ron’s estate. In addition, the family designated Catholic Charities as one of two organizations to receive memorial contributions in Ron’s honor.