I love it when Surprise Millionaires with their lives of frugality and wealth accumulation 
get some positive press. It looks like Thrive Global has done just that. I was especially pleased to see that not one, two, three, but FOUR of our Surprise Millionaires received an honorable mention!
News
Throwing a Lifeline
A Surprise Millionaire leaves a lifeline to a local institution that functioned as a lifeline to 
her over the years. Flemington New Jersey resident, Jane Kitchin, loved her local library. As the elderly lady’s health declined during her final years, it was the local library staff who brought and retrieved books from Kitchen’s home. Thus keeping her mind and spirit engaged with the world around her through the wonder of books. That’s why it was very special that Jane remembered the library with a portion of her multi-million dollar estate. Yes, this frugal lady left a legacy to an institution that meant so much to her and the community.
Memorial Day …
Happy National Be a Millionaire Day!
Hey Surprise Millionaires; May 20th is National Be a Millionaire Day! You can join in the celebration by using #BeAMillionaireDay on social media. Let’s make National Be a Millionaire Day a day to remember!
She Played All The Right Notes!
Phyllis Hanse was a fixture in her small town of Webster South Dakota. An
unassuming woman, Phyllis had taught piano to thousands of children over several decades beginning in the 1950s. Even though she had no children of her own, she was a fixture at local school activities over the years. Maybe that’s why she left the $4.2 million surprise for the local school and community.
An Unexpected and Remarkable Gift
North Dakota farmer Darrel Hendrickson made his living from the rich farmland of the aptly named Richland County. Even though he lived
outside its city limits, Mr. Hendrickson loved the town of Colfax and wanted to remember the Richland County community in his will. And remember them he did! Local schools and churches will share in the more than $4.5 million estate Mr. Hendrickson accumulated throughout his life tilling and cultiviating the land. These gifts have obviously left the local community speechless. As a local school official stated, “I’m just marveling at this”. I must say that I am too!
Honoring The Lady And Her Wishes
As we discussed last week, one of the most important things a Surprise Millionaire can do is to make sure their wishes are known prior to their passing. Unfortunately, I have 
stumbled upon another story with a Surprise Millionaire’s will, this time from the United Kingdom. Retired mid-wife and nurse, Joan Edwards thought she had done it completely right. She contacted her local solicitors and had a last will and testament drawn up making (she thought) her last wishes known. It appears that even with all of this preparation, the specifics of the will’s bequest were still open to interpretation. It was unfortunately left to the government (and its political parties) to sort it all out. I guess I need to amend my cautions on this subject to include, “make your wishes known, make them legal and make them very clear.
