Donor Spotlight: Wayne L. Bartelheimer

With a love for running and competing in triathlons, Wayne L. Bartelheimer spent many days of his life training to compete in races. Before crossing the finish line of the biggest ‘race’ we call life, Wayne made the decision to go the extra mile forever--he donated his estate to charity and named the Columbia Basin Foundation as one of his three beneficiaries. Born on November 13, 1944, and raised in Snohomish, Washington, Wayne was one of four children. Surrounded by three siblings, Dale, Myrna and Alan, he grew up in a family who had a rich heritage in the dairy business. His grandparents migrated from Nebraska to Snohomish, Washington, with their 11 children in 1912. With 40 acres, chickens, cows and an Indian hut with a dirt floor, they laid down their roots and rolled up their sleeves milking cows.

Bartelheimer’s parents, Reinhold and Elinor, carried on the dairy tradition. During Bartelheimer’s adolescence, he learned the value of hard work on the dairy and was involved in 4-H, FFA and athletics. In 1964 when Bartelheimer graduated from Snohomish High School, he left his hometown and served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam. Following his military service, he attended and graduated from Eastern Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1972. He also earned a master’s degree from Fresno State University in family counseling. He spent 20 years dedicated to his profession. During his career, he worked for the Lutheran Family Center in Portland with his aunt and uncle. He lived in Fresno, Portland, Kennewick, and Othello during adulthood. In 1990, he became business partners with his brother, Alan, purchasing a dairy in Othello, Washington. Bar-E Dairy milks 4,000 cows and is operated by Alan Bartelheimer.

Bartelheimer lived a quiet and private life. He was a nice guy who enjoyed his friends, running and supporting causes that were important to him. He enjoyed the social and physical aspects of completing triathlons. It seems quite fitting for a triathlete to name three charities in his estate. He remembered the Eastern Washington University Foundation, the National Parkinson’s Foundation, and the Columbia Basin Foundation. In 2021, the Wayne L. Bartelheimer Memorial Athletic Scholarship launched at CBF. Graduating seniors or college students from Adams or Grant County High Schools are eligible to apply. The primary purpose of the scholarship is to provide funding for students who want to pursue collegiate athletics--intercollegiate, intramural or club programs and who have demonstrated integrity, citizenship, motivation, academic success and financial need. The original gift was $662,589. During the last 4 years, 87 scholarships have been distributed totaling $94,500 and the fund balance is $711,627. Those numbers clearly demonstrate the power of philanthropy. On October 6, 2019, Bartelheimer passed away at the age of 74 and finished his race strong with his incredible gift of generosity that will benefit our communities forever.