MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University awarded eight scholarships this fall to Iowa students in honor of two Atlantic, Iowa, natives with ties to the university.
Northwest’s Michael L. Faust Scholarship is awarded annually to incoming freshmen who are graduates of Atlantic High School, while the C. Lee Butler Scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate or transfer student at Northwest with preference given to students who are graduates of high schools in Cass County, Iowa. Academic achievement and financial need are leading criteria for both scholarships.
“Northwest is pleased to recognize these students with scholarships in an effort to assist with their goals of attaining a college degree,” said Mike Johnson, Northwest’s vice president of university advancement. “Education has had an important impact in both Michael’s and Lee’s lives, and the scholarships in their names ensure other students will experience the advantages of attending college.”
Parker James Baker, of Glenwood is the recipient of the C. Lee Butler Scholarship. A sophomore elementary education major, he is the son of James and Jill Baker.
Charles Lee Butler – or Lee, as he was known to friends and family – was born in 1902 in Fontanelle, where he attended elementary and high school. He enrolled at Drake University in Des Moines for one year but dropped out to help support his family.
After working in a Fontanelle bank, he moved with his new wife Florence to Atlantic in the early 1930s to purchase a general lines insurance agency. He also served as secretary of the Cass Mutual Insurance Association, a county mutual fire and windstorm company. In addition, he was a member of the Board of Directors for Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company for many years.
Butler’s daughter, LeAnn, remembers that her father enjoyed reading mysteries, watching football and baseball, fishing and the occasional trip to the old Ak-Sar-Ben track in Omaha, Neb., for horse races a couple times a year. He was a friend to many in Fontanelle and Atlantic and remained close to his four sisters.
Additionally, Northwest awarded the Michael L. Faust Scholarship to the following students:
• Casy Angell, a freshman physiology major and criminal justice minor from Colo, Iowa; she is the daughter of Chad and Melanie Angell.
• Jill Rene Elliott, a freshman undeclared major from Lamoni, Iowa; she is the daughter of Janet Gray and Danny Elliott.
• Cindy D. Guffey, a freshman undeclared major from Elliott, Iowa; she is the daughter of Mark and Shelly Guffey.
• Abby Rose Ketelsen, a freshman agricultural business major from Denison, Iowa;
she is the daughter of Rick and Rhonda Ketelsen.
• Abigail Kriz, a freshman undeclared major from Marion, Iowa; she is the daughter of Tim and Ruth Kriz.
• Maia K. Smiley, a freshman biology and psychology major from Glenwood, Iowa; she is the daughter of Robert and Karla Smiley.
• Austin Ray Becthold, a freshman business education major from Villisca, Iowa; he is the son of Deb Howe.
Faust, an Atlantic native and 1974 Northwest alumnus, is the assistant to the president of the Kiewit Corporation, a large construction and mining firm based in Omaha, Neb. He also manages the Kiewit Companies Foundation and leads the company’s community and political relations programs.
For more information about the C. Lee Butler Scholarship or the Michael L. Faust Scholarship, contact Northwest’s Office of University Advancement at 660-562-1248.