A dying army veteran has given his house to charity in the latest in a string of remarkable gestures.
Bob Karlstrand, 65, who served in Vietnam, has left the property he has lived in for 38 years to charity in his will.
“Most of the things I can remember having. Maybe some pictures I’ll keep but in the end it’s only material things,” he said.
The end has been on his mind a lot. A battle with colon cancer and a terminal lung disease makes a man think about the 65 years he’s had and the 66th he’s not sure he’ll see.
“I’ve had a good life so I can’t complain at all,” Bob said.
Bob’s given most of the smaller things away already, but has big plans for his home and his money. Bob is giving his house to Habitat for Humanity, but under the condition that it goes to a veteran, just like him. Bob served his country in Vietnam coordinating B-52 bombers.
“I wanted to give back to the veterans if I could,” Bob said.
He also donated money to the University of Minnesota’s nursing school. Bob, a graduate of the business school there, returned to donate his retirement fund to the nursing program.
“If I can help a little bit that will be good,” Bob said.
His little donation was a $1 million endowment. But he’s not bragging.
Agencies/Canadajournal