Francis & Thelma Wise Fund

Created in 2003, the Francis & Thelma Wise Fund at Marion Community Foundation as a field of interest fund supporting local programs for the treatment and prevention of arthritis, Parkinson’s Disease, and blindness or other vision impairments. The fund was created from Francis’ estate by a gift of savings bonds.

Francis was born in 1916 and married Thelma (Cramer) in 1941. He was an Air Force veteran and worked as a foreman for 28 years with HPM Corporation in Mt. Gilead, retiring in 1981. The couple owned and operated the former Wise Restaurant on North Main Street for a number of years and were members of Central Christian Church. Thelma passed in 1999 and Francis in 2003.