Mrs. Paul “Muffy” Christen announces gift for Crazy Horse Memorial
$5 million dollar endowment to benefit Crazy Horse
CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL – Crazy Horse received a welcome boost in funding as they were named the recipients of a generous endowment gift. Mrs. Paul “Muffy” Christen, the former Director of First Western Banks and Chair of the Board of First Western Bancorp, Inc. and current Chair and Director of Christen Group, LLC, Huron, SD, today announced a $5 million dollar endowment gift to the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. The first installment, $2.5 million dollars, will be awarded immediately and placed in the newly created Crazy Horse Centennial Fund at the South Dakota Community Foundation. The second half of the gift will be placed in the endowment fund within the next several years. The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation will earn yearly interest off the endowment in perpetuity. Mrs. Christen established an open-ended endowment fund so others like her who believe in the work being done at Crazy Horse can continue to add to the principal.
“I consider it an honor to play a role in continuing the progress that is being made on all fronts at Crazy Horse,” said Mrs. Christen. “I have told Ruth that she can spend the yearly interest payments any way she chooses so the dream that was started six decades ago can continue to become a reality.”
“We are so overwhelmed and blessed by this incredible gift from Muffy Christen,” said Mrs. Ruth Ziolkowski, President and CEO of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. “Muffy and her husband, Paul, have been such wonderful long-time friends of the project and their faith in our work at Crazy Horse bolsters our determination to accelerate progress on the mountain as well as create new educational opportunities for young Indian students. We just can’t thank the Christen family enough for their amazing generosity.”
The announcement was held on the viewing deck at the Memorial with the massive mountain carving serving as the backdrop. A blast was conducted on the mountain after the announcement in celebration of the gift. Among the speakers at the announcement were Governor Mike Rounds, South Dakota Community Foundation President Bob Sutton, and Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation Board Chairman Dick Tobias.
For additional information about the new endowment fund please contact James Hagen at 605.673.4681 or email giving@crazyhorse.org.
Donna “Muffy” Christen
Donna “Muffy” Christen was born in Mitchell, South Dakota to Herbert & Gyda Starr. Muffy graduated from Mitchell High School and later from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD, with a B.A. Degree. She completed post graduate study in Marketing at the University of Denver and later received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Dakota Wesleyan University.
Muffy met her husband, Paul Christen, while attending college together, and they married in 1951. Muffy and Paul have two daughters, Rebecca Christen Pohlad and Kathryn Christen Ramstad. Both daughters have homes in Minneapolis, MN and elsewhere. The Christen’s have 3 grandsons, Thomas, Joseph and Christopher Pohlad and 1 granddaughter, Christen Mitchell.
Muffy, along with her husband, Paul, sold their First Western Banks in January 2008 to First Interstate BancSystem. At the time of the sale they had 17 banking locations, all in western South Dakota. Muffy held the position of Director of First Western Bank and Chair of the Board of First Western Bancorp, Inc.
The Christen’s presently own First Western Agency, with insurance offices in western South Dakota.
Currently, Muffy is serving as: Chair and Director of Christen Group, LLC, Huron, SD; Director & Vice President, Asst. Secretary/Treasurer of CG Properties, LLC, Huron, SD; Member & Manager of Christen Co., LLC, Huron, SD; Board of Directors
of South Dakota Community Foundation, Pierre, SD; Co-Founder, Director and Chair of the Christen Hohm Lusk Greater Huron Area Foundation, Huron, SD; Director and Chair of the James & Zelda Ruddy Nursing Scholarship Foundation, Huron, SD; Member
and Past President of Chapter F, PEO; Member and Past Chair and Trustee of the Methodist Church, Huron, SD.
Muffy also served as: Founder and Chair of the Spirit of Dakota Award Commission for 8 years; Charter Chair of the Huron Regional Medical Center Foundation for 3 years; and Charter Member of the South Dakota Judicial Qualifications Commission for 5 years.
She was honored with the Distinguished Civic Service Award by the Huron Chamber of Commerce in 1991 and as the South Dakota Philanthropist of the Year in 1990.
Muffy has also held various offices and served in many capacities on numerous other State and local organizations.
Paul and Muffy reside in Huron, South Dakota and also own a home in Indian Wells, California.