Elinor Sauerwein, 96-Year-Old Millionaire, Lived Poor And Quietly Donated $1.7 Million

After one vacation in 96 years and finally trying cable television at age 95, Elinor Sauerwein died with a reputation of steadfast frugality.

So when people found out the Modesto, Calif., woman gave $1.7 million to the Salvation Army in Modesto, they were a bit stunned, ABC reported.

"Oh I stared at it for awhile," Salvation Army Modesto Capt. Michael Paugh told the news source, "then I took a picture of it with my phone."

Sauerwein and her husband were quiet millionaires, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"She didn't spend money on anything she didn't absolutely have to. She lived as if she was a poor person," John Bullock, her financial advisor, told the Times.

Half the money will go to the Modesto Salvation Army's endowment fund, and the other half will go toward projects such as new shelters.

Inspired by Sauerwein? Check out volunteer and donation opportunities with the Salvation Army here.

Comments

[cuteliberalchick]

10:02 PM on 02/06/2012

she did not even travel the world ?what the hell

[trailerguy]

02:26 PM on 02/04/2012

I glad sshe is being honored, lets honor her kind and the greed head porschedriving tiffany consumersers.

[Hippocamp]

03:22 PM on 02/01/2012

I think that you can tell the generation of most of the posters on this thread by reading their responses.

My grandparents lived through the great depression and always said that becoming a
millionaire had nothing to do with how much money you made but how much you saved. They owned a nice house but didn't "need" a mcmansion, They wore nice clothes but didn't "need" designer brands, and they drank Folgers instead of Starbucks.

It is too bad that we have been brainwashed by marketers so that we think we have to live a certain lifestyle to be happy.

[beckym1488]

07:27 PM on 02/01/2012

Agreed

[JerryRice]

03:06 PM on 02/01/2012

Frugal != poor.

[stape45]

09:42 PM on 02/01/2012

Obviously not so.

[NyJimbo]

02:50 PM on 02/01/2012

So many people treating her like she was wonderful. How about this: She didn't spend her money on anything, she horded it away until she died and only THEN did she donate it to charity. Would have been nicer to donate it to the needy over the years instead after dying and not having much choice of what else she could do.

I had a neighbor like this, didnt buy a darn thing to fix up his house, never invited people over for anything even after he was invited for parties. The guy had a half million in the bank and he drove a beat up old car, wore old ratty clothes and ate like a peasant. He had family but didnt give them a dime and didnt donate to any charties. But when he dropped dead he gave it all to one of the big churches and boy did they give him a eulogy.

Frugal also means cheap.

That's my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

[Air Vice Marshal Park]

02:30 PM on 02/01/2012

This is pretty characteristic of the Depression generation; they simply don't spend money on anything but necessities and are uncomfortable without large cash reserves. No doubt, FDIC notwithstanding, she was a bit uneasy about having money is banks.

She was quite a bit different from generations that came after hers, she wasn't a "Material Girl."

[KrustySanchez]

02:19 PM on 02/01/2012

This is one of the few people who could claim to be an authentic liberal (if she was.. who knows).

She lived on what she needed to survive and gave her own money to the needy, putting her money where her mouth was.

Many liberals live high on the hog compared to 90% of the world then complain our government and rich(er) people don't do enough.

If you really care more about people than things and possessions, live only on what you need and give the rest to the poor. Fortunately I don't suffer from that particular form of cognitive dissonance - I will admit I care more about my 65" TV than I do about the poor.

[ebanks84]

02:10 PM on 02/01/2012

Beautiful person she was and a beautiful story this is. May she rest in peace which I'm sure she's doing.

[apartoflife]

02:04 PM on 02/01/2012

The Salvation Army better name buildings after this wonderful woman.

[Dr Scott]

01:59 PM on 02/01/2012

Well done, Sauerweins!

[caland]

01:56 PM on 02/01/2012

Would have been nice if she would have donated to a less BIGOTED, FRAUDULENT Charity.

[Goddess Athena]

01:53 PM on 02/01/2012

We could all learn to live a little more simply. Frugality is not the same as living as a poor person. She obviously felt that she had what she needed to live her life on her terms, without a lot of excess or clutter.

[Chunkylover54]

01:51 PM on 02/01/2012

A person who lived through the depresssion and new the value of money, You did good!

[beckym1488]

07:29 PM on 02/01/2012

People that lived through the Great Depression know more about the value of money than any of us. What do you mean?

[Chunkylover54]

07:48 PM on 02/01/2012

Exactly what i said, She is a person who lived through the depressio­n and knew the value of money

[NHBill]

01:45 PM on 02/01/2012

So sad to live such a life of denial.
There's a happy medium between living a material life and being closed off from the world.

[Goddess Athena]

02:02 PM on 02/01/2012

Perhaps for her it wasn't denial. We'll never know. Maybe she and her late husband saved their money in case they encountered rough financial times in their retirement, such as major illness.

[NHBill]

02:07 PM on 02/01/2012

That's what Medicare and insurance are for.
It's a great big beautiful world out there.
Again there's a happy medium between overindulgence and denial.

[beckym1488]

07:31 PM on 02/01/2012

What denial? Just because she wasn't materialistic, she was in denial? She had the things she felt she needed. If all Americans lived like that we wouldn't be in debt. We don't only over spend on what we think we need, but also on many things we want.

[NHBill]

08:42 PM on 02/01/2012

nonsense.
I'm all for being frugal and for giving to others.
But life is meant to be lived.
No trip to the Louvre?
No trip to see the Statue of Liberty?
The Grand Canyon?
She had enough to experience life and help others.

[backtothefutureagain]

01:40 PM on 02/01/2012

Whatever happened to the 1.5 BILLION that Joan Kroc left to the Salvation Army?