Young couple smiling

A gift that honors a life

Memorials and tributes

If you have a loved one who has been impacted by Walla Walla University, establishing a memorial or tribute gift is a meaningful way to honor your loved one or celebrate a special occasion, such as a birthday, while supporting the mission of WWU. Your memorial or tribute gift will be a lasting tribute to your loved one and will make a difference in the lives of those touched by the mission of WWU.

Check out this potential scenario

Georg GrellmannGeorg Grellmann, a nationally renowned athlete from Falkenstein im Vogtland, Germany; a WWII infantryman; and a former prisoner of war, met and married Charleene Riffle from Shattuck, Oklahoma, a missionary nurse and director of surgical nursing at Loma Linda University, after Georg’s first wife, Helen, died in 1975. Charleene instantly became the mother of Georg’s five children.

After a career in the ministry in Illinois and Washington state, Georg and Charleene retired in Walla Walla where their children were either working or were students at Walla Walla University.

After their parent’s died, those same five children and their families sought to honor their parents by establishing the Grellmann Family Endowed Scholarship at Walla Walla University.

“Walla Walla University and the extended university community played an integral role in our family. Our parents sacrificed to give their five children a Christian education. All five either graduated or attended Walla Walla University. Our parents came to love the university and chose to retire and live in the community. Our family benefited from those who went before us in providing financial support to make a high quality Christian education possible, and we wanted to follow that example. It’s also a way to honor our parents sacrifice for us and the love they had for WWU, its students, faculty and extended community—we believe they would have been proud,” said Dietmar Grellmann, son of Georg and Charleene Grellmann.

Next steps

  1. Contact Dorita Tessier, CFRE, CSPG at (509) 527-2646 or dorita.tessier@wallawalla.edu for additional information on creating a memorial gift at Walla Walla University.
  2. Seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor.
  3. If you make a memorial gift to Walla Walla University through your estate, please use the legal name and federal tax ID.

Legal name: Walla Walla University
Address: 204 South College Avenue, College Place, WA 99324
Federal tax ID number: 91-0617727