Gail Gosney-Wrede and Fritz Wrede have been part of the heart of our congregation for more than 30 years. We rely on stalwart members like them.
They both grew up in families that believed in helping neighbors and friends. As Fritz says, “It’s just part of being in community, you share and everyone benefits.” As a preteen, Gail was inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s mantra: “Don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Their chosen professions reflected these values. Gail worked in human services, focusing on children and families, in government agencies as well as non-profit organizations. Fritz worked in psychology and counseling.
When they joined OUUC in the spring of 1993, they had a young child and were focused on “RE,” the Religious Education program. Gail recalls there being about 70 to 80 OUUC members. Over the years, Gail and Fritz have participated on the Board and about every program or committee. These days, you’ll see Fritz helping with tech support for Sunday services.
The reasons for their long-term commitment to OUUC are the same reasons they included OUUC in their will — so it will continue to thrive. Matching OUUC values is Gail’s “belief in the interconnected web of life and the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”
Fritz and Gail were instrumental in OUUC’s transition from a small, familial structure to a larger, more segmented program structure, a transition that took 10 to 15 years. They would like to be remembered as being active, strategic, and generous during that transition, while also maintaining the familial, community feel.
What do they envision for the future and how their legacy gift will add to it? Fritz sees a welcoming community and the continuation of a focus on the positive and looking forward. Gail hopes that OUUC will be a place where people of liberal faith could be in community and work together for the good of the larger community. She believes that’s happening. “We’re living the vision.”
If you would like to learn more about legacy or planned giving, please contact Pam Toal, Chair, OUUC’s Legacy Giving Committee. August is National Make-A-Will Month, an annual reminder about the benefits of creating or updating your will. If you have already included OUUC as a part of your will or estate plan, please let the office know by sending an email to officemanager@ouuc.org, or filling out the form here: Legacy Giving Form.
This article is part of OUUC’s “Make a Legacy” series to raise awareness about how we can all make a legacy gift, no matter the size, to help sustain OUUC projects and operations, aligning with its mission of advancing social justice and community well-being.
