Meet Jerry and Sue Shanks

Jerry and Sue Shanks joined St. Luke's United Methodist Church in November 2022, and they have already included the church in their estate plans. What led them to do so? "When we moved from Arizona, we had to update our estate plan due to the difference in estate law between the states. As we did that, it was natural to include our new church," said Sue.

Jerry was born in Indiana. Sue was born in Kentucky and moved with her family to Indiana when she was eight. They met in their sophomore year at Indiana University and married after graduating in 1965. Their careers took them to Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Detroit. Jerry is a retired insurance executive and Sue is a retired CPA and auditor.

When they retired, they moved first to a farm in Kentucky near where Sue was born, and then to Arizona for eleven years. They knew they wanted to eventually return to Indiana, however, as that is where most of their family live.

They attended the same church in Arizona as Marly and George Howell, St. Luke's members who are winter residents in Arizona. "They put us in touch with Carol Tully, another St. Luke's member, who lives in Hoosier Village," said Sue. "We decided to move to Hoosier Village too."

When they moved back to Indiana, they visited three different churches and picked St. Luke's as their new church home because they were impressed with both the sermons and the music. "We feel we belonged at St. Luke's," noted Jerry.

They enjoyed being a part of St. Luke's Lenten study group at Hoosier Village led by pastor Patricia Magyar. They also attended both a pitch-in dinner during the summer and a Christmas dinner with fellow St. Luke's members. " There are over 50 St. Luke's members living at Hoosier Village, and we have gotten to know many of them," Sue stated.

They have quickly adapted to their new home. Jerry serves on the Hoosier Village residents council. He also chairs the activities committee and serves on the health services committee and the maintenance and safety committee. Sue leads a Hoosier Village book club and visits fellow residents at various locations. Together they enjoy playing bridge with other residents.

They have also gotten involved in their new church home. They support the work of the food pantry and Jerry serves on the planned giving and endowment committee. When asked what they hope their estate gift will accomplish, they responded, "We believe an inclusive love and respect of all people best represents Jesus' message to the world. St. Luke's does a great job of teaching that message. We hope our planned gift will help ensure that St. Luke's is able to continue to carry Christ's message to our community and the world well into the future."

St. Luke's is grateful for the ways Jerry and Sue Shanks are sharing their time, talents, and treasure since joining the church in 2022 and for their thoughtful estate planning. The church is pleased to recognize Jerry and Sue as members of St. Luke's Legacy Society. If you would like more information on how you too can become a member of St. Luke's Legacy Society, contact David Heetland, pastor of planned giving, at [email protected] or 317.399.6202.