Hortense Casady "Tensie" Oldfather

Hortense Casady "Tensie" Oldfather 88, Lawrence, Kan., died Tuesday (10/2/07) in Kansas City, Mo. Born May 7, 1919 in Los Angeles to Simon and Margaret (Wheeler) Casady. Tensie was raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and graduated from the University of Nebraska, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, Mortar Board, and Phi Beta Kappa. She married Charles Henry "Chick" Oldfather in 1942 as he entered the military for WWII. After the War he attended Harvard Law, and they moved to Lawrence, Kan. in 1950 where he spent his career teaching law at the University of Kansas. Chick preceded Tensie in death in 1996.
A large and unexpected inheritance made it possible for the Oldfathers to make substantial donations to a variety of organizations, especially the Universities of Nebraska and Kansas. They had always lived modestly and continued to do so, with Tensie preferring to devote her money and energy for the good of the Universities and her community. Perhaps her most lasting legacy was the initial contribution of $4 million given in 2000 to establish the Douglas County (Kansas) Community Foundation in Lawrence, which recently reported assets of over $10 million and support of 38 non-profit community organizations.
Tensie is survived by seven children and their spouses; seventeen grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister, Rose, and brothers, Simon and Timothy.
A celebration of her life was held in Lawrence on October 10.