Couple leaves $10K to animal control
CENTREVILLE – St. Joseph County Animal Control was the benefactor of a significant gift left in the will of a Colon couple.
St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department Capt. TJ Baker said the $10,000 bequeathed to the Centreville-based agency left him nearly speechless.
“I consider $100 a large donation; $1,000 is almost unheard of; $10,000? Those kinds of dollars aren’t walking through the door every day,” he said. “So, you can imagine my reaction and (Undersheriff Jason) Bingaman’s reaction when we found out about the $10,000. Jason’s jaw dropped.”
County officials for years have expressed their desire for a new building to replace the current facility but done little to fund a replacement. The current structure is considered outdated and too small. Baker said donations of such magnitude certainly push St. Joseph County Animal Control in the right direction.
Jim Bidwell and Deb Yesh were presented a certificate of appreciation earlier this month. The low-key ceremony acknowledged Bidwell’s sister, Karla Wilson and her husband, Robert “Pat” Wilson.
Karla, a Colon High School alumna, passed away at age 67 in November 2022, while her 75-year-old husband died a year later. Both succumbed to cancer.
They lived in California for about 40 years before returning to Colon five years ago.
Bidwell said he wasn’t surprised his sister and brother-in-law did so much to acknowledge St. Joseph County Animal Control. The two did not have kids, so pets filled a significant spot in their lives.
“As you can probably guess, Karla and Pat were animal lovers, so when they were making out their will, they both told me they planned to leave something for the Centreville animal control,” Bidwell said. “Still, I had no clue it was going to be an amount that size. I was actually pretty shocked, but, you know, that’s just the way they were. I’m very proud of them and happy they get this kind of recognition.”
Bingaman and Baker visited Bidwell and Yesh at Bidwell’s Colon-area residence to present the certificate of appreciation. Bidwell said the gesture left him emotional.
“I had such a warm feeling, knowing we were honoring Karla and Pat for such a considerate act,” Bidwell said. “I hope this helps animal control, and I hope it maybe plants a seed in someone’s mind and they’ll consider animal control when they’re making up their will.”
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Couple leaves $10K to animal control
