The Central Unit Four School District at Clifton is a beneficiary of the Miner Charitable Foundation. The school district will receive $100,000 to go toward improvements for the school's auditorium and main building.

In return, the auditorium will be renamed in honor of the late Harold and Jean Miner of rural Watseka.

The foundation was established for the benefit of students and communities of Iroquois County.

Unit Four School Superintendent Tonya Evans said "we're very excited about the opportunity to upgrade our facilities and equipment for the fine arts program with this donation."

The program includes band, chorus, theatrical plays and other activities that use the auditorium.

The Miners were especially interested in music and the arts. Jean Miner was an accomplished musician and a member of a professional vocal trio with her sisters. She was a church organist for 30 years and played at the Iroquois County Fair draft horse show for many years.

Harold, a successful farmer and investor, served as one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's feed grains advisers in the 1970s, then on the advisory committee of U.S. Trade Representatives Clayton Yeutter and Carla Hill.

The donation to Central is the largest since the late Charles Studt, a bachelor farmer from rural Ashkum, left the athletic department nearly $108,000 after his death in 2007 and established a $350,000 fund with the University of Illinois Foundation to fund scholarships for Central students pursuing agriculture or engineering degrees.

94.1 WGFA