Inaugural Martin Scholars Announced

The Community Foundation of Huntington County is pleased to announce Blake Mast, Elijah Ingle, and Tessa Maul as the initial recipients of the William G & Ilo Jane (Altman) Martin Scholarships for a total of $40,000.   Mast will receive $20,000 for his senior year. Ingle and Maul each received $10,000 with the option to renew the scholarship.

Mast is a rising senior at Huntington University majoring in Missions.  He is the son of Carrie and Eugene Mast of Fort Wayne.  Mast plans to attend an immersive ministry internship in Denver this fall and when he returns for the spring semester, he will be a Sojourner at Huntington University, presenting programming for residence hall students to grow in their personal and communal spiritual formation. 

Ingle is a 2024 graduate of Norwell High School. He is the son of Cynthia and Doug Ingle of Bluffton. An AP scholar, Ingle was involved in Show Choir, Student Council, Riley Dance Marathon, and interned at the First Church of Christ in Bluffton during his high school years.  He plans to attend Bellmont University and major in Biblical Studies. 

Tessa Maul is a member of the 2024 Graduating Class of Southern Wells High School. She is the daughter of Katrina & Christopher Maul of Warren. While at Southern Wells, Maul was a member of the track team and the band. She volunteers at a preschool and attends First Brethren Church in Huntington where she sings for worship services and attends a women’s Bible Study. She plans to attend Huntington University to major in Children’s Ministry and Minor in Youth Ministry. 

The Martin scholarship was established with an estate gift from William and Ilo Jane Martin of Roanoke.  William G. (Bill) Martin was born January 31, 1916, to Guy A. and Estella Bailey Martin in Jay County, IN.  Ilo Jane was born February 3, 1918, to George W. and Etta L. Morrow Altman on the farm known as the Pleasant View Farm. 

Bill Martin and Ilo Jane Altman were married on February 4, 1950, at the Pleasant Chapel United Methodist Church then known as the Pleasant Chapel Evangelical Church. A few years after marriage they purchased the farm from Ilo Jane’s father, George Altman, who had owned and lived on the farm for 40 years keeping the buildings and land an attractive place to live. The purchase was made in 1953 and the Martins moved there from Jay County in March of 1954.

Bill was an active and successful farmer, rotating crops to preserve the soil. He raised corn, wheat, oats, beans, and hay. He milked Holstein cows and specialized in raising hogs. Ilo Jane had been a secretary for the Protective Electrical Supply Company in Fort Wayne.

The Martins took great pride in keeping up the buildings with remodeling, repairing, and painting. Bill gradually retired from animal raising and was out of the business completely by 1975. He slowly retired from farming the land in 1987. Bill always enjoyed the tractors and tilling and planting the soil. In 1991 he completely retired from farming and spent his time taking care of the lawn and garden. Bill and Ilo Jane were both active in the Pleasant Chapel United Methodist Church holding various offices of the church. Bill passed away on April 2, 2010.  Ilo Jane passed away on March 23, 2022.

 “Working with a local attorney, Ilo Jane created an estate gift that will benefit our community forever,” stated Matt Ditzler, Executive Director. “We are grateful for the opportunity to honor the Martin’s generosity and thoughtfulness through this endowment fund.”

The scholarship is available to students from Huntington County and adjoining counties (Allen, Grant, Wabash, Wells, Whitley) pursuing a career in the fields of Christian Missions, Christian Medical Missions, Christian Social Work, or Christian Education with preference for those attending Huntington University in Huntington, IN or Taylor University in Upland, IN.