Donor Stories
The Leroy & Agnes Urban Family Fund
The Leroy & Agnes Urban Family Fund was established in 2020 as part of the Family of Funds of the Vadnais Heights Area Community Foundation and administered by the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. The fund was established by Leroy and Agnes’s children as a way of honoring their parents. Both Leroy and Agnes grew up on small truck gardening farms in Rose Township, now Roseville. Leroy’s parents moved out to what is now Vadnais Heights in 1938 and Leroy and Agnes purchased the adjacent land in 1943. Together the Urban family has farmed land near Centerville Road and County Road F for now 83 years. Besides farming, Leroy worked for the Vadnais Heights public works department for 31 years, much of it part-time and Agnes worked for 34 plus years for the White Bear Lake Schools Food Service. In their jobs, both Leroy and Agnes were known for their hard work and giving extreme customer service to those they served. Leroy was a 20-year charter member of the Vadnais Heights Fire Department, and both served our community for many years as members of the Vadnais Heights Community Club or “Booster Club” which served our community from 1947 to 1980. Leroy and Agnes both took part in the 1957 election that broke off our area from White Bear Township and created Vadnais Heights.
Leroy and Agnes believed that education and job creation for all was very important to families and the community. They also believed in helping the less privileged, those with health issues and the elderly. When Leroy and Agnes weren’t working, they enjoyed music/dancing, community recreation, fishing, and being with friends and family.
In honor of Leroy and Agnes Urban their Family Fund will issue grants annually in perpetuity through the Vadnais Heights Area Community Foundation to support charitable organizations or programs engaged in: Music, Community Recreation; Agricultural/Horticulture; Job Creation; Education; or helping the less privileged.
The children of Leroy and Agnes Urban hope to grow this fund in the future and encourage others to donate to this fund or other funds of the Vadnais Height Area Community Foundation, or create your own family fund to support our Vadnais Heights Area Community. The geographic definition of the area served by the Vadnais Heights Area Community Foundation is the White Bear Lake and Mounds View School Districts Areas. For more information on grant applications or donating go to www.vhacf.org .