An Irrelevant $1,000,000 Inheritance

My Great Grandpa Groff was a tomato farmer. He had a modest plot of land in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that he worked with his1124 hands until he went to a retirement home around the age of 92. He was married to his wife for just shy of 75 years and the two of them brought 9 beautiful children into the world. For nearly all of their 75 years together, my Great Grandma and Grandpa Groff had the same morning routine. While eating the same breakfast at the same table on the family farm, they would do their devotions and pray together. Hanging in their kitchen was a calendar and on each day, different names were written. Family and friends took turns with their place on the calendar and as they prayed, they would pray specifically for the names written on that day. Oftentimes, one or both of them would take the time to write a postcard or even a letter and send it to the individuals they were praying for that day. As one of many of their great grandchildren, I personally received at least one of these handwritten letters, a letter I still have today.

When we went to visit, their modest house wasn’t much to admire. They had lived there for almost all of their lives as they raised their children. If you were to talk in their front door, the first thing you would probably notice would be the welcome mat. The two of them would weave plastic grocery bags together of all different colors and make their own mats as well as gift these mats to their family. I had one at my house growing up. They were simple, but they were faithful.

Great Grandpa Groff was also the pastor of their Mennonite church for around 30 years. Everyone in the community knew and loved him as he shepherded his biological and spiritual families. My Grandpa Groff, his son, continued on in the faith his father had exemplified for him. Growing up in Virginia where my grandpa had moved, I remember sitting on my grandpa’s lap as he played hymn after hymn on his piano and organ. My grandpa’s name was David, and like King David in the Bible, I viewed my Grandpa Groff as a man after God’s own heart. But at age 62, his life was cut short due to brain cancer. I remember visiting my Great Grandpa at his retirement home after my Grandpa, his son, had passed. He wasn’t the same man. He had now seen two of his children die while he lived. I was only 12 or 13 at the time, but I can distinctly remember him telling me that no parent should ever have to bury their own child. It was a pain that he couldn’t explain. But his faith was unshaken. Even after his wife passed away in her early 90’s, he continued to pray daily for those on his calendar and write notes as often as he could to them. As a young boy who had just lost his grandpa, I remember thinking about my Great Grandpa with such reverence. WHY was he so faithful?

When he passed away at the age of 102, I got my answer. At his funeral which was in the church he used to pastor, his living children, their children and their children all joined together to demonstrate the legacy he had left. Did his family perfectly follow the Lord? Certainly not. But his legacy was clear. His children loved the Lord, his grandchildren were following in their footsteps, and as I looked to all of my cousins sitting in the pew, we all loved the Lord - four generations that had received a legacy of faith. The church was packed. One after another, people stood up to testify how my Great Grandpa had touched their life. Their Eulogies were beautiful and heartfelt. His children spoke of his faithfulness. His grandchildren joined together to sing hymns. His great grandchildren, myself included, sang along as we all worship God together. WHY was he so faithful? He had intentionally been building a multigenerational legacy of faith.

I am a testament to my Great Grandpa and Grandma. Their prayers were not in vain. Without their legacy of faith, I don’t know if my life would be the same.

After the funeral was over and we laid him to rest, my Great Grandpa’s final will and testament was read. For the past decade, he had been living in a very nice Mennonite retirement home. This home certainly wasn’t free. Many people in the family thought this had caused his savings to be depleted, but as they read his will and looked at his bank accounts, they realized he had been saving for this very moment. At the age of 102 as a modest tomato farmer and Mennonite pastor, my Great Grandpa had left over $1,000,000 to be divided up among his children and his children’s children.

Typically, receiving money is the highlight of obtaining an inheritance. In the case of my Great Grandpa, the money was only the cherry on top. The tangible million dollars has long been spent between his kids and grandkids, but his intangible legacy of faith still lives on into the 5th generation - my daughters.

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Zach Santmier is the owner of Trumble Agency, Inc. and the author of the personal financial course, Increase. He focuses on helping families escape paycheck to paycheck living so they can freely pursue their ideal future.