BELMONT — The James P. and Eunice S. Cherry Scholarship Endowment Fund, recently established with the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation, will provide tuition assistance for students enrolling in Belmont Abbey College’s new nursing program.
The endowment honors the memory of the late James and Eunice Cherry, who converted to Catholicism during the late 1940s under the spiritual guidance of Benedictine Father Gregory Eichenlaub, pastor of St. Michael Church in Gastonia at the time, with support from the monks of Belmont Abbey.
The couple raised 10 children, two of whom went on to graduate from Belmont Abbey College, and they supported their parish and the Gaston County community over the course of many years.
One of Eunice Cherry’s cherished volunteer activities was serving at Gaston Memorial Hospital, today known as CaroMont Health. Besides volunteering at the hospital, she served on its board of trustees through several administrations and hosted many community events at the Cherry’s family home.
It was their late mother’s love for the hospital that inspired the Cherry children to establish the endowment to support nursing school students at Belmont Abbey College. Nursing is one of several new healthcare degree programs recently established at the college as part of a partnership with CaroMont Health, which is building a state-of-the-art hospital just east of the campus.
“What better way to kick off the new nursing program than with a funding source to help the nursing students with tuition assistance? This is a wonderful way to honor my parents, James and Eunice,” noted their son Steven Cherry.
Through Belmont Abbey College’s partnership with CaroMont Health, students pursuing healthcare majors are expected to have practicals at the new hospital and will use classrooms located on the hospital’s campus. They will also be able to look to the hospital for possible employment opportunities after graduation.
Dr. William Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College, shared his appreciation for the new endowment. “The Cherry family has a long multi-generational relationship with Belmont Abbey College and the monks of Belmont Abbey. Their family are pillars of the Charlotte diocese and the Gaston County community. We are honored to memorialize their commitment to the Church and Catholic education through this endowed scholarship.”
“We are grateful to the Cherry family for their commitment to help future students. They are always thinking of others,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director. “We are also blessed to have the nationally recognized Belmont Abbey College in our diocese. They are the only Catholic college between northern Virginia and Florida. And Belmont Abbey is the fountainhead of Catholicism in North Carolina.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter. Belmont Abbey College contributed.
Create an endowment
Interested in setting up an endowment? Establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a gift of real estate, a gift of life insurance, cash or securities sufficient to set up an endowment, or a life income arrangement such as a trust or annuity.
For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..