A Major Scholarship provided in memory of Corfu Grad

 

The largest Pembroke High Scholarship Grant was provided by Walter Chmielewski in memorial for his mother. When Walter Chmielewski contacted the Pembroke High School to announce funding for a Scholarship honoring his Mother Sophie, he attached an $11,000.00 check. Instructions were for DFS to establish a perpetual scholarship in her memory. The donor said, "I would like to think of my contribution as "seed money" which would be added to by others in the future." He refers to PHS as CHS as it was before the District merged the Corfu and Pembroke School Districts and adopted a new name.

Walter went on to recall that as he was growing up he recalled a repetitive comment of his mother Sophie: "Others may take away your possessions. They can never take away your education." A strong and proper education can be a most important factor in the achievement that an individual can expect to accomplish and actually do so.

Sophie J. Chmielewski was born August 25, 1916 in Kansas City, Kansas. She died March 1, 2004. She was buried in a small cemetery just east of Allegheny Road less than a mile from the home on Gabbey Road, Indian Falls that she maintained from 1945 to the 1960's. She did not have the opportunity to complete high school. She was one of those individuals that counted on common sense and a sense of honestly and dignity to reach beneficial goals for herself and her children of 1 son(Walter, the eldest child) and 2 daughters(one 5 years and the other 10 years younger than her son).

Shown here is Daniel Graves, nephew of Sophie, presenting the 2011 Scholarship at the Senior Banquet with Toby Behan, Guidance Councilor. The 2011 Recipient was Megan Patterson who will attend Niagara University. 
 

Tax Deductible Memorial gifts or Gifts in Honor of can be made to Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 72, Corfu, New York 14036 or on line at Scholarship America for NY2300  with several credit card and/or PayPal options.  For assistance please contact an officer of Corfu-Pembroke DFS

Dollars for Scholars
Corfu-Pembroke Chapter
Post Office Box 72
Corfu, NY 14036