Clyde and Martha Norvelle Scholarship

It seems instinctive for people to want to leave some kind of memory marker for lives lived faithfully and with purpose. That was the intention of Don and Blenna Stevens following the death of her mother, Martha Norvelle, in the spring of 2000.

Don and Blenna (Bonnie) were active members of La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. They lived their lives in service and loyalty to the faith taught them by their parents. Don, an attorney, became a member of CLU’s board of regents in 1997 and served faithfully in that capacity for eight years. Subsequently, he was invited to serve on the board of California Lutheran Educational Foundation. Because of his professional experiences, he developed a special interest in legal and business ethics which served him well as a board member.

The Stevens had two children—son Michael and daughter Jessica. Education was always a top priority in their home. As Bonnie explained, “My parents believed in the importance of higher education, always encouraging their children to do their best and to appreciate how their lives could be enriched by the college experience. They also believed strongly in the importance of Christian values and ethics, as well as personal integrity.” Those ideals certainly carried over into the marriage and home of their daughter Bonnie.

Don and Bonnie entered wholeheartedly into the Now Is the Time capital campaigns of the University, but it was the idea of a lasting memorial to her parents that caught their attention in 2000. Their first gift creating the endowed Clyde and Martha Norvelle Scholarship arrived in June 2000. In 2012, another significant estate gift arrived, this one in honor of John Jay Norvelle, Bonnie’s youngest brother. That gift established a restricted fund bearing the same scholarship name, to be used as needed.

Because of their desire to encourage students from Arizona to consider CLU for their college education, Don and Bonnie designated the Norvelle scholarship for youth from one of three Lutheran churches in that state—La Casa de Cristo in Scottsdale, Mt. Cross in Payson and Calvary Lutheran in Tucson. In the event there are no qualifying recipients, the scholarship may be awarded to a student from any Evangelical Lutheran Church in America church in the Grand Canyon Synod. The first recipient of the endowed Clyde and Martha Norvelle Scholarship was announced on Honors Day 2001 in the presence of Bonnie Stevens.