Foundation News

In a win-win-win situation, Norma and Tom Ivers of Franklin, MI donated 70 acres of land they owned in South Newfane, Vermont, to Grace Cottage, and the hospital then sold the property to a contiguous property owner.

The Ivers inherited most of the acreage in 1953 from Norma’s mother, Helen Clark; they subsequently purchased an adjacent plot in order to have road access. The Ivers selected Grace Cottage as the recipient of this generous gift, according to Norma, “because of all the wonderful medical care” Norma’s family, including her brother, Stewart Clark, and her cousin, Mavis Oliver, had received at Grace Cottage over many years. Norma and Tom, who have been married for over 60 years, have five children, twelve grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren.

Ironically, the contiguous property owner, Margaret MacDonald, has had a connection with Grace Cottage for many years. Her parents, Shep and Charlotte Stone, purchased the home that Margaret now owns in South Newfane, thanks to a tip from a good friend of theirs, Grace Cottage’s founder, Dr. Carlos Otis. “When it came on the market, he called my parents and said ‘I think I know the right place for you’,” recalled Margaret, “and it was. They loved it, as do I.” Margaret plans to put the additional 70 acres she now owns into Vermont’s Current Use program.