Natalie Claussen-Rogers Scholarship Fund

We work with scholarship coordinators specifically looking for deserving, financially challenged students, who may have been overlooked, or not given the all the help needed to advance in higher education. Here is Nicole, another deserving scholarship recipient who hopes to go into some level of law enforcement, after obtaining a college degree. She is an ‘A,’ student who along with her high school classes this year, simultaneously completed 3 community college courses.

To The Natalie Claussen-Rogers Scolarship Foundation:

This scholarship is like a big opportunity, giving me a chance to push past limits and aim high. It shows that people believe in what I can do and are there to help turn my dreams into reality. I'm excited to take this chance and not only improve my own future but also make a good impact on others.

Thank You,
Nicole Candelario

Evelyn is one of our scholarship earners. Below is a snippet of the letter she submitted in the solicitation period:

Growing up I’ve had many career options that I wanted to explore and most of them were in the medical field. I had always seen my mom working double shifts as a home nurse, both night and day to support me and my siblings as we grew up. My father hadn’t really been there to support us and it only made me want to study harder to achieve something for my mom.

To the Supporters of the Natalie Claussen-Rogers Scholarship Foundation:

As the first generation high school graduate of my family it would be an honor to accept such a great opportunity like this scholarship in Natalie’s name! I have done many things throughout my school years to achieve the best for the future generations of my family and a scholarship such as this one would make it even more reachable for us. I am aiming to be the first in my family to go to college to become an anesthesiologist technician so I can encourage the generations to come to achieve similar goals in their lives. This opportunity will be a tremendous help In helping change the patterns of my family once and for all! I would love to thank Natalie for giving such a lifetime opportunity for my family and I especially my younger brother who I hope I can finally encourage to continue school and his passions!

Evelyn

Natsfund donates funds for 5 year books to saught out and deserving students at a local high school who has a number of financially disadvantaged youth. Some of our routine donors attended this school as well. We strive to let the students know, this is a gift bequeathed to them from the collective efforts of our donors. Sometimes a student will write a personal note to me, as Natalie’s husband. This is what one of the appreciative recipients wrote ❤️

Today Natalie would have been 48. Her memory has stayed fresh for many, because so many knew what a beautiful person she was. We’ve continued to honor her memory because we feel robbed of her presence. In her memory we have provided assistance to the most deserving students. Provided help to animal welfare causes. Supported surgical calls from the most remote areas of the globe. Sponsored young, low income, music students to follow their dreams. And in short, continue to try to make the world a better place, by continuing Nat’s spirit and hearts work. Keeping her with us still.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8YWKY4MNR569N

Save the date for our memorial poker tournament May 18th. Come down to Lake Bottom, Visalia, and play, or watch the action while hanging out and having some great food and drinks. Hope to see you there.

Again this past holiday, Natsfund donated to A Combat Veteran's Hope Christmas party, where the children of veterans were given gifts. We are honored to help those who not only served, but answered the nations call for the hell of combat, while they leave their families behind to an uncertain future. We owe these service people everything, and Natsfund is honored to support their cause.

Today marks the 12th year of Nats passing. She continues to be missed by so many, as we are left behind by so many fond memories. Most importantly were the lessons on life Nat subtly impressed on us. One of those was her philosophy that there were no, “lost causes,” among us as fellow humans. Sometime when we witness the depravity of people, it’s easy to say someone is worthless. But in the end, what kind of world would we have, if we accepted the notion that any among us is not worthy of some level of grace. It’s the number one law of spirituality, and humanitarianism. Thank you for your continued support of Natsfund, where Nats light and spirit continue to radiate into the lives of those who show promise, struggle, or hope. ❤️

When I asked people at Redwood about our perspective scholarship recipient Darius. I routinely heard, “He’s quiet—and kind.” Each person assured he was worthy of it. We ask the scholarship coordinator to find us the deserving students who may have been over looked, or are in a situation that needs more help. Darius lives with his mom and three siblings. His father passed away a few years ago. His mother is a hard working cashier. To hear it told, he had experienced many hardships already in life. He carries a 3.8 gpa, while taking challenging courses. He will be the first in his family to attend college in the fall. Darius chose to write his “thank you,” letter directly to Natalie:

Thank you Natalie Claussen-Rogers,

Thank you for all of your hard work towards your community and efforts to make the world a better place. Your story influences other people's lives and careers, including mine. Even after death, your efforts continue to make the world a better place. Thank you for all you have accomplished. It would have been an honor to know you or even to just to shake you're hand and thank you in person.

Sincerely, Darius Coley

Thank you to our donors. For a second year we have delivered a check to Mt Whitney High. A school with a large number of socially disadvantaged youth. This is a note from the schools Assitant Principal Julie on the gift from Natsfund.

“Proud and grateful recipients. In the group, there are language learners, earners of the Seal of Biliteracy, athletes, Academy of Health Science students , AVID students, one is going to UC Merced and another to Fresno State. One overcame great obstacles that were impacting behavior and another battles mental wellness. All great kids who wouldn’t have their yearbook without you.

Thanks, again!”

Today is Nat’s birthday. Keeping with tradition, we like to do a scholarship fundraiser in her honor. The premise of NatsFund was to do good works, in Natalie’s name. She devoted her life to making the world a better place. She quietly gave to causes around the globe and worked to help the abused and neglected in our communities. She was taken far too soon, after years of such hard work. We want to always recognize that fact. Natsfund has awarded dozens of scholarships to the most deserving students, who often times come from the most dire circumstances. Along with that we give to child medical services in remote areas and to rescues for dogs, an animal Nat held tenderly in her heart. Natalie chose a profession where she knew she would be entering the darkest corners of humanity. And once there, she shined a light of hope. Our mission is to keep that torch lit.

This Christmas season Natsfund has chosen to support the local non-profit group: A Combat Veterans Hope (ACVH). They are securing funds to provide Christmas gifts and a Santa party for the families of our veterans who have served in combat. Combat is the most demanding duty we ask of our military personnel. We know life isn’t always easy for those who return from those situations. Helping groups like ACVH, making sure veteran children get something positive for the Holliday, is a small gesture of gratitude for their parents service, that will make a big difference in a kids heart.

By Dec 10, Natsfund will match all money made through your donations here, up to $500 dollars. This will cover the groups current shortfall, and assure every kid on the list gets something. 100 percent of donations go towards the gifts. You can find ACVH on Facebook to see all the good work they are doing for our most deserving Veterans.

We lost Nat 11 years ago today. I wrote this story shortly after she passed. Natalie was different, special—a pure soul, who mingled down here with us sinners for a while. We were better for it. That’s how those of us remember her. That’s why we won’t forget. We love you Nat.

The Final Road-Trip

The idea for the Great American road-trip came to me as an idea during Natalie’s treatment for cancer. She was diagnosed with Stage-3b lung cancer, a non-smoker at the age of 35. She had undergone close to five months of intense treatment. We would use this trip to let her body and mind heal. Build up strength, in case of a second round of treatment was needed. In pre planning, the trip gave us something to talk about, and look forward to—a distraction--A goal. So we spoke about our course of action. In our minds we pictured a large Western circle on a U.S. map, later we plotted it on a paper map.
The day came in Mid-June when Natalie gingerly walked away from Stanford, and her completed chemo and radiation treatments. Two weeks later Nat felt strong enough for the trip. We knew she didn’t have the strength to walk too far, and that’s why a vacation that took place behind a windshield seemed like the perfect way to see the country. My Princess was situated on down pillows, with the a/c maxed, and under her favorite Phoenix Cardinal blanket—one bought on a Arizona road-trip the past football season.
We had 8-days to cover as much ground as our car could cover—our own ship, afloat on a sea of asphalt and dusty roads. We were guided by the stars, a yellow line, an i-phone map, as well as traditional charts, in the case we lost phone reception. We didn’t make reservations more than a day ahead of time, if reservations were made at all. The slight uneasiness of the unknown served as a cheap thrill along the way. Nat, a brave person before, had reached a new level of courage in life. Though Nat was low on strength, she enjoyed the thought of becoming as free as the breeze in travel--despite the thought of a bad hotel, or not one at all?
July 1st and 2nd were spent at the Grand Canyon. I knew lodging near the Canyon would be sparse during the tourist season, so I had made this reservation a week earlier. Luckily I called immediately after someone else had made a two day cancellation. We stayed at a South Rim lodge called the Bright Angel which lies within the National Park. I reserved our own private cabin which sat less than 20 feet from the canyon lip, allowing Nat a view of the canyon from our bed. Allowing us to sit and stare at one of nature’s greatest gifts. On a moonless night, you see the masterpiece of the galaxy in ways most have lost, losing yourself in deep thought beyond all that you are staring at. During the day, the Canyon becomes another land locked celestial view. These vistas serve to clear the head, and release the stress. The Canyon is a humble reminder of our place and time here on Earth; a couple days here is the equivalent of a thousand dollars worth of therapy sessions.
After two days of Canyon reflection we headed north-east towards Aspen Colorado. Driving out of the warmed earth toned sands of the Painted Desert, the thought of someplace green felt like a comfortable destination. Once in Aspen we toured downtown, which can be done in minutes by car. We then visited the Jerome Hotel, one of the more popular and historic haunts of town. Outside they played live acoustical classic rock.
When we entered the patio area, a bar manager approached us. A young guy named Casey, who gave Natalie personal service, by leading us to an umbrella table, with a good view of the band. He also paid for our beers. He obviously saw Nat’s condition--her hairless head under her hat, her slow pace--he took care of her, checked on her during our time, to make sure she was happy. Weeks later I ended up writing a letter to the owner of the Jerome, to point out the behavior of his manager--the fact he had a heart--you don’t want to lose those employees.
I enjoyed his special attention given to us--to Nat. It gave her that excited little girl look she never lost in life. At the onset of the trip, I told Nat that she was cured. And I would not treat her like a cancer patient anymore-- It was us again--both perfectly healthy, Nat just was a little out of shape, that’s all. This seemed to lend her strength. But when others doted over her I appreciated it--because no one deserved it more.
While hanging out at the Jerome, we had the opportunity to meet former Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis. Braudis, was a popular figure both inside area law enforcement, and out. He gained niche notoriety by being close friends with one the areas late outlaws, author Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson lived in nearby Woody Creek which was going to be Nat and my next destination, about 15 minutes up the road.
After leaving Aspen we pulled into the small town of Woody Creek, which was just off the freeway. We stopped at the Woody Creek Tavern, which was a bar and grill frequented by both locals and outsiders who hoped to catch some of the mystique of the place. We had burgers, and looked around at all the random postings of pictures, letters, postcards, and artwork, that looked like it had been collecting there for fifty years--a clutter of symbiotic pieces of time and reference, with no rhyme of reason, but clearly telling a story.
After lunch we continued up the hairpin turn onto Woody Creek road, which led to Thompsons home. We parked across the small one lane road, and I put in Bob Dylan’s, Mr. Tambourine Man. This song had significance in Thompson’s life--enough that he dedicated a book of his in part to the musical piece of genius. I got out to take a couple pictures of the place. Nat got out to take pictures of me.
We were then back on the road another 40 minutes into Glenwood Springs. I had wanted to stop there to check out the grave stone of the infamous Wild West gun fighter Doc Holliday. The walk to the cemetery was up hill, about a quarter mile. Nat said she didn’t want to make the hike, but she insisted I did, she would nap. So I took the walk and saw the marker--and placed a pint of whiskey, minus a couple shots, that we had purchased to leave on the grave.
Before we left Glenwood Springs, we stopped at a neighborhood tattoo shop. Nat bought me something to remember the trip by, a pair of bats in flight, placed on my front shoulders, a tribute to Thompsons literary work of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I also had the artist place a permanent dot on my sternum, to match the one given to Natalie for her radiation treatment-- the point was used to mark the radiation beams target. Right after we were back on the road, to see how far we could go until highway exhaustion set in.
Six hours later we spent a quick night in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We woke on July 4th, Nats favorite holiday. We loaded up and headed to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our first stop was at the Crazy Horse monument. Another, less known, sculpture carved out of a mountain. The finished product will be the upper bust of Chief Crazy Horse and the neck, and head of his stallion, and when completed it will dwarf Mount Rushmore. Most Americans have never heard of the Crazy Horse monument. Google it, you will be amazed. Down the road 20 minutes is a much better known national monument, with the four proud busts of American Presidents: Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Roosevelt. To take it in gave a national pride, one not achievable simply by looking at a postcard photo. It was a fitting emotion for a fitting day, as it was Independence Day, and Nat was truly a patriot, one of the best our country had. She was a woman wise enough to see her country’s faults, but to love what America represented above all else. She respected her President, regardless of party.
I had already researched 4th firework shows. The monument usually has a fireworks display each year. But this had been canceled due to the extremely dry conditions, a result of some intrusive wood beetle that had decimated forests. I googled “Best July 4 display South Dakota.” To my surprise I found an article listing Lead, S.D. as the number 5 of 10 shows nationwide. So we got back into the car and headed an hour north to investigate.
As it turned out, Lead is a sleepy town, which contains a giant pit carved into a mountain of solid rock, which once was the biggest producing gold mine in the country, from the mid 1800’s into the 20th Century. Nat and I stopped at a store and bought our supplies for the night, which consisted of booze and munchies. We then parked the car in the community park, where everyone came down from the surrounding neighborhood hills to watch the show. The spectacle came when the bursting rockets were launched above the mouth of the giant cavern, which was about three-quarters mile across and wide, upon explosion the sound was reciprocated with a loud echo below. Nat and I held hands and listened to the explosions, and to the Beatles cd that played on our car stereo. It was a beautiful night.
The next day we stopped in nearby Deadwood. The main street was lined with a cross between Victorian and old western architecture. Certain games of chance are legal here. In fact, it was one of these games that Wild Bill Hickok found himself in when assassinated in Deadwood. In his hand Bill carried the famous Aces and 8’s. His grave marker is nearby, buried next to his female counterpart, Calamity Jane.
We left South Dakota to drift back into Wyoming. We thought while in the neighborhood we should go see the Devils Tower, a giant land formation that appears like a mountain sized tree trunk among the small rolling area foothills. The location made famous to most Americans as the gathering point for extra terrestrials in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The stop only lasted enough to snap a few photos, and to buy tourist junk at the areas general store. And then we were off again, a long cross state drive with a target stay as Cody, Wyo. Here we would be 45 minutes outside Yellowstone National Park.
We rolled into Cody late at night, but not before driving through a plains thunderstorm an hour before town. The ride had turned beautifully haunting, nothing but endless wind thrashed wild wheat fields, ignited by whips of lighting across an onyx sky. We pulled over to a small roadside hotel, and slept soundly.
The next morning we were into Yellowstone. After driving deep into the park we parked and perched on some seats, waiting for the geyser Old Faithful to erupt. Natalie had been able to easily make the walk from the parking lot, and had a pride about the accomplishment. She left her hat in the car, which was several hundred yards away, and she wanted to protect her head. When I got up to retrieve it, she insisted on walking for it, “I can do it--I want to do it,” she would say. She returned several minutes later, with that little girl look of accomplishment she would get. “I made it, no problem.” Certainly she was getting better--stronger. Moments later we sat and watched the geyser erupt. The earth belched in a beautiful way.
Then it was off to see the famous geothermal pools, where steam seeps through the earth, sounding like the breath of hell. Pools of crystal clear water, deep blue and emerald green in places because of all the minerals in it, dotted the walk around us. Others contained pools of mud, which appeared as creamed coffee cake batter, which would bubble with escaping gases. Once again, Natalie made the circle trail, which was about a quarter mile around. We were both so pleased with her rapid recovery of strength, it--it had to be a good sign.
We retreated to the car, and headed towards our destination for the night, which was Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Once we were in an area that had cel coverage, my phone began to buzz in my pocket. A half-dozen texts, and several voice mails from friends who were reporting the fact that a grizzly bear had attacked a young couple in the park--killing the husband. Loved ones knowing where we were, checked in--worried it was us. We ended up driving by the location 20 minutes later. There were rows of media vans and tourists parked along the roadside, looking into the area where the attack took place, only a half-mile off the road, in a mostly meadowed area. The couple had surprised the mother bear and her cub-- and paid in the worst way for the mistake.
We continued our drive, when out of nowhere the most surprising discovery of the trip took place--We pulled along side a majestic lake, which had the backdrop of the Grand Tetons. Magnificent rocky mountain peaks I never knew existed. As beautiful, powerful, and haunting of any mountains I have ever seen. We got out of the car, and sat lakeside--just holding hands and taking it all in. It had been a wonderful day--Nat was happy.
We pulled into Jackson Hole, and soon after I told Nat the place got its name because it takes a whole paycheck to get a room. It’s a naturalists playground in both winter and summer--and to sleep there costs. We found a simple and clean place for the night at about 160--and were fortunate to have that. We showered and laid down for a while--it had been a long day, and it felt good just to relax with the tv on and the door and windows open, letting the sweet breeze seep through the room.
After a couple hours we went out to eat at one of the historic steakhouses in town. Nat, who refused to wear a wig, or hat at night, looked as beautiful as ever to me. Our dinner conversation was wonderful, filled with everything we had seen. The sun had set, and the sky was crusted in stars. We held hands and sat in silence for a while--just taking it all in--just enjoying each other.
After dinner Nat, who was always thinking about others, wanted to gift shop. So I drove to a shop on the main square and dropped Nat off, so I could go find parking. When I got to the store, Nat told me something that broke my heart. Two little girls saw her, and Nat overheard them argue about if she was a boy or a girl. When the mother heard them, she shushed them--but nothing else. But Nat had this look about her--somehow, thankfully, it just didn’t seem to bother her. She just reported it to me as a-matter-of-factly. She had become so strong. She was always strong, but now she was on another level, she was achieving enlightenment--a knowledge of what is important to know in life. She had become a living angel. I was so proud of her, and thankfully I could see her strength, and the ordeal didn’t bother me like I would have feared--Nat was able to lend me strength as well, just through the way she would look into my eyes.
We drove out of Jackson Hole the next morning--we drove for hours. We touched the soil of Idaho, Utah, and 10 hours later into Mesquite Nevada, where we found a clean and comfortable casino hotel room for 25 bucks--that came with a free breakfast, it was about the biggest thrill of the day--on the longest and most boring drive of the trip, thrills were tough to come by at this point.
We were off again the next morning, after our free breakfast and a winning single hand of black jack, where Nat told me to throw down whatever I had in my wallet. She always knew how to invoke my vices--never wanting to partake herself, but always smiling as I enjoyed them. We wanted to make it home that night--we were missing our babies horribly by now, and it was time to sleep in our own bed again. So as we drove I told Nat we had time for one last stop. Her choice was to see the Hoover Dam, or to stop at the Outlet Mall in Prim, Nevada. I knew Natalie being educated would typically be inclined to see something like the Hoover Dam--but I also knew we had been on the road long enough, and seen enough of natures and mans accomplishments that the decision was a no brainer. Two hours later we pulled into the expansive parking lot, and soon after Nat was walking around the mall, smiling from ear to ear--doing what she loved. And I was happy because she showed more and more signs of strength as the days went on.
A few days after we returned home, Nat’s coughing came back. Lightly at first, but it seemed to progress. We checked her into the local hospital, where her lungs were examined, and deemed in need of draining. Our hopes rested on the possibility it was just a small infection, caused from all the radiation treatments she had undergone. Once her lung was drained, she again showed signs of improvement, but this only lasted another week before the cough returned. We scheduled a return visit to Stanford five days later, to see what it was all about. I continually assured her it was just her body healing from treatments, ‘like when a skinned knee heals, it itches, that’s what your lung is doing. Nothing to worry about.’ Nat always seemed to take me at my word about these things--maybe because I had convinced myself it was the truth--it had to be the truth.
We spent one last weekend together at Morro Bay. Nats parents and nephew were with us. Nat sat on the beach under a large umbrella and watched us swim in the ocean. She was so tired--so worn out, but she never once felt sorry for herself, which sums Nat up. Come Monday Nat was checked into Stanford, by Thursday we received the news, and by Sunday she was gone. The cancer had returned with a vengeance.
It’s been one year since this happened. It seems like yesterday--it seems like a lifetime ago. All those who loved Nat--all those she touched--the thousands she touched, her friends, people in need, the mentally ill she cared so much for--all left with an endless hole in our hearts, as tough to fill as the Grand Canyon with a spoon and sand. Left only with the sweet memories of a girl you were lucky to know. I was lucky to call her my wife, but she didn’t belong to me--Natalie belonged to us all--and we were all very lucky to know her--she was perfect in every way, and those types of people only seem to come around every 2000 years or so…I Love you Natalie Lenee Claussen Rogers, thank you for everything.