A bequest was received in 1983 from the estate of Viola Erlenborn (1900-1983) to provide scholarships to local students in memory of her husband and son.
In 2002, the Foundation reestablished the fund as an endowment to ensure ongoing recognition of her generosity.
Her husband Alan Erlenborn (1895-1962) served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army during World War I.
After the war, he joined his father Albert J. Erlenborn in the family business on River Street in Aurora.
Albert Erlenborn founded the firm in 1889 as a seed, fertilizer and paper supply company.
Alan Erlenborn later became president and owner of the company, which was renamed Erlenborn Office Supplies.
Alan Erlenborn, Jr. (1921-1944), whose photo is above on the right, served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and was assigned to the South Pacific in April 1944.
He died in July of that year during active duty in Guam. He received the Purple Heart Medal and is buried in Honolulu, Hawaii.
According to the newspaper account of his death, “the war department telegram came as a distinct shock to his parents” as their son had never hinted that he expected to go into action at that time.
Alan Erlenborn, Jr. was the couple’s only child.
