The Colby Community College Endowment Foundation announced a new scholarship fund after receiving a $300,000 gift from Ned and Dorothy Lowry of Dodge City. The Ned and Dorothy Lowry Endowed Scholarship Fund will assist students studying in health and animal care majors.

Dorothy Lowry and her daughter Rhenda Field were on campus Sept. 4 for a tour and a check presentation. After a group photo, nearly 50 students lined up to hug her.

"We truly were overwhelmed and so pleased that we chose Colby Community College for a part of our legacy," Mrs. Lowry said in an email to the Foundation. "Best wishes to each of the students. We are glad to be a small part of their lives."

Ned and Dorothy Lowry were born and raised in Norton and Phillips counties. Work with an oil and gas company took them to Nebraska and Oklahoma before they moved to Liberal in 1966. After 19 years as an employee for the same company, Ned decided to start his own oil and gas engineering and lease management company that facilitated drilling, completion and production for independent companies located outside of Kansas. He followed with another company where he managed a fleet of gas compressors and the construction of commercial real estate rentals.

After retiring in 2001, the Lowrys settled in Dodge City. They are enjoying life with their three married children and families that include eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

"It is an honor to receive and establish a scholarship fund that distinguishes a family legacy," said Foundation director Jennifer Schoenfeld. "The Lowry family will be helping students accomplish their educational goals for many years to come."