Booneville - The Northeast Development Foundation recently received a $110,000 estate gift from Mr. W.E. Yancey, a recently deceased Tippah County Farmer and shoe factory worker that valued the college.

Although Mr. Yancey never got the opportunity to attend Northeast himself, he wanted to develop a scholarship so that others may have an opportunity to do so.

His wish was made into reality at the formal presentation on Thursday June 9th at Fred Permenter’s law office on the square in Ripley.

Northeast Development Foundation Executive Director Patrick Eaton and the Northeast Executive Vice President Dr. Larry Nabors were presented with a check from the Yancey Estates in front of the Tippah County Courthouse in honor of the late W.E. Yancey.

Eaton and Nabors both expressed their gratitude to the Yancey family for Mr. Yancey’s generous contribution to Northeast in Thursday’s meeting. “It is amazing that he donated this money to Northeast and never even walked through the doors,” said Eaton.

“Mr. Yancey was a graduate of Piney Grove High School in 1945 and was the schools Valedictorian,” explained his nephew, David Yancey.

“My uncle was a well respected, upright, honest, and caring man in the Pine Grove community. He worked hard throughout his life and always gave advice to the youngsters. Visiting him throughout my childhood brought me a lot of knowledgeable advice through the years. As he sat in his recliner, time after time, he told me how he wished he had the opportunity to attend college when he graduated from high school. He continued to be a great role model for myself and many others over time. It is a great honor for our family to witness his generosity in establishing the W.E. Yancey Scholarship Fund to provide a better future for graduates today. He would be very proud to witness this unfold himself, and to see the accomplishments of youngsters who will benefit from the W.E. Yancey Scholarship Fund and Northeast,” Yancey said.

W.E. Yancy was never married and had no children. W.E. Yancey’s niece Karen Yancey said that he told her one time about the two things he wished he had done different in his life, he wish he would have went to college and that he would have some day got married.

“He said he never really had the opportunity to go to college but he hoped by leaving this scholarship fund money behind, that someone would now have that opportunity he never got,” explained Mrs. Yancey.

Plans are being made to provide the scholarship to a Pine Grove High School graduate for 2010. A separate application will be required in order to be considered for the W.E. Yancey Scholarship.