Brickel Brothers Scholarship

In 1947, four brothers — Ivan, Charles, Leroy and George Brickel — moved from Keith County, Neb., to a farm in the Crook area.
They came from a family of 13, and evidently had learned to share quite well. The lifelong bachelors lived together in the same house and built a successful farming operation.

Part of their success was likely due to their frugal lifestyle, making do with only what they absolutely needed. Another part was an unwillingness to incur debt, making every purchase with cash.

 According to Baxter Arnold, who served as attorney to the brothers, the first one who died had left no will, so his assets passed to his siblings and nieces and nephews. However, the other three left wills that gave substantial amounts to local charities, totaling about $1.5 million. The last surviving brother, George, died in 2004 at the age of 94.

Donations to Northeastern Junior College Foundation totaled around a half million dollars, to create this scholarship in 1999 and improve the Agriculture program at the college.