ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. - In 1914, three year old Dorothea Ilgen Shaffer moved into the Masonic Children's Home, in Elizabethtown, with her brother. She remained there until she graduated from high school. Shaffer went onto gain a Doctoral Degree. She died in 2012 at the age of 101. In her will, she left $10.9 million to the home. It took awhile for her estate to be resolved. The home recently received the generous donation.
"I assume her way of thanking us for the staff that were caring for her during those times. It was a big surprise, but obviously it’s a blessing really," said executive director, Cindy Phillips.
The money will be used to pay for operating costs over the next 5 years. A plaque has been placed in the home's garden in honor of Shaffer.